Whatever It Takes
by nakashima0518
Summary: What if Link and Zelda's roles were reversed? Link's new servant, Zelda, is one of the last remaining Sheikah and hides her feelings from everyone. She's convinced Link will be just as cruel as her prior master. Can Link bring Zelda out of her shell? Or is there more to this girl than he thinks?
1. Chapter 1

Link groaned. Out of all days, today had to be the day when his parents had decided to resolve their relationships with the Gerudos. To be honest, Link hated what the desert-dwellers had done to Hyrule, but he understood why his father wanted to create alliances with them.

But today was Link _birthday_. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the majority of the day in a conference room listening to his father try and convince King Ganondorf that both Hyrule and Gerudion needed this treaty. Link didn't really see why Hyrule needed Gerudion, they were prospering fine, but he assumed it was mostly to prevent another Great War.

The doors opened, and Link lifted his head to see who it was. To his disgust, it was King Ganon himself and his wife, Queen Nabooru, along with several guards and an ambassador. Link's father sat up straighter in his large golden throne, and his mother did on her slightly smaller one, which was to the left of her husband. She motioned for Link to do the same in his throne, which was about three-quarters the size of the King's.

Link sighed, and propped his elbow against the arm of the chair, his chin pressing into the palm of his hand, trying to look as bored as possible in hopes of turning off King Ganon. His mother wrinkled her nose in annoyance, then turned to the two foreigners and gave them a pleasant smile. Link rolled his eyes at her hospitality toward these traitors and stared out the window. Which was stain-glass so he couldn't see anything. Oh well. He would pretend he could see something.

"King Alfon, it is of my greatest honor to see you and your beautiful country in person. I can tell that Hyrule's prosperity is surely a result of your actions." King Ganon said in his deep, smooth voice. His words were practically dripping with sugary syrup, and Link couldn't see how his father could even trust this man to be in Hyrule in itself, not to mention in the castle right under his nose. "Ah, King Ganondorf," the King replied, "I appreciate your efforts to come to this meeting. How was the journey?"

"Oh it was lovely," Queen Nabooru interjected. "The scenery, the goddesses have surely blessed this land. And the people, they looked so, _happy_."

"Good, good," King Alfon looked pleased. "So please, shall we continue in the conference room?" "Yes, do lead the way." King Ganon answered. The four royals left the room, leaving Link alone.

_Should I follow them?_ Link wondered. _Not that I'd have much of an opinion anyway. _He decided on enjoying this time to himself, it was rare for him not to have any sort of task to fulfill. However, with his parents occupied he could relax.

* * *

He finally chose to visit his horse, Epona. Normally the servants took care of her, but Link always preferred to do it himself. The chestnut colored mare seemed to too. Epona had been given to him on his 10th birthday, and the two had always got along well. Epona was a bit timid at first, but Link managed to bring her out of her shell.

The air was crisp and cool for an April morning. The grassy courtyard was covered in drops of dew, looking like tiny diamonds in the light. Link leisurely strolled through the courtyard, walking in the grass as opposed to the paved walkways. It was much more interesting this way. As a child, Link would often pretend he was in a thick forest, and discover a secret cave with only a lantern to guide him. Or that he was the Hero of Time, slashing at bushes as if they were Deku Babas with a Deku stick for a sword.

Those memories made Link smile. Back when Hyrule was fine, when it wasn't looking for other kingdoms for help. Back when Link's mother would sing to him at night, and when his father would tell stories of war heroes and the history of Hyrule. Link especially liked to ones about the Hero of Time. He was Link's role model, and Link often wondered if maybe _he _was the Hero himself. But that was only because he was named after him.

At last Link reached the stables. Most of the knights' horses were gone, but a few others remained along with Epona. There were also two new horses, both had a sleek black coat and shaved manes. They did not welcome Link as the other horses did; rather, they snarled and snorted at him. _Must be the Gerudos' horses_. Link thought. Pfft. Figures.

Epona happily neighed when Link approached her stall. She trotted over and nuzzled her head against Link's outstretched hands. "Hey girl," Link said, stroking her mane. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a carrot. Epona munched on it happily and flipped her tail.

As Link was refilling her fodder and combing out her mane, he found himself talking to the horse. "So what do you think of the Gerudos, girl?"

The horse ignored his question as Link brushed off the dirt on her coat. "Maybe I'm being paranoid," Link continued, "Or overly proud. But I don't want anything to deal with those guys. They always look like they know something we don't, you know?"

Link picked the old hair out of the brush and resumed combing. "And my parents forgot my birthday. All because of their stupid meeting. I was hoping we could do something, as a family, but noooo. Everything has to go their way."

When he finished, Link returned the brush and patted his horse one last time. The horse gave him a look of confusion. "Sorry girl, can't ride you today. I gotta get back to the castle before someone notices I'm gone." The horse neighed in response and Link headed back.

* * *

Link walked into the throne room and saw his parents with the Gerudos. His mother was laughing and so was his father. When they caught sight of him, Link's mother noticed his slightly muddy boots and horse hair on his tunic. "Link!" she exclaimed, "You should know better than to sneak off into the courtyard like that! Were you taking care of that horse of yours?"

"Hey!" Link said defensively, "Epona's a fine horse! Besides, I hadn't seen her in a while!"

"Ah, so this is Prince Link, I presume?" King Ganon asked. All eyes turned to him. It was the first time Link had actually taken a good look at him. He was tall, like, really tall, around 6'8 maybe, and had a sturdy build. He wore heavy black armor encrusted with various yellow jewels and red button-like thingies. A strange golden crown adorned his head; it was like a headband, but in the back of his head. Chains connected the crown to a golden sun that covered almost his whole forehead. His orange hair connected to his thick eyebrows, and he had a beard.

Queen Nabooru had her long red hair tied into a ponytail, and she too wore a sun like jewel in the middle of her forehead. She wore a strapless, er, for lack of a better term, bra, and puffy pink pants. Nabooru wore red elf shoes and fingerless pink gloves as well. She wore gold chains and large jewels as well. Unlike her spouse's slate green skin, Nabooru's was a burnt brown.

"Yes, this is my son. Do introduce yourself Link." King Alfon replied.

"Nice to meet you…" Link mumbled.

"If I recall correctly, today is your birthday, Prince Link, is it not?" King Ganon asked. Link's ears perked up. _He remembered my birthday?_ _Not even my own parents did._

"Oh yes, I had almost forgotten! Happy birthday Link!" King Alfon laughed heartily.

His mother smiled. "Eighteen years old. We're very proud of you Link."

"Eighteen huh? That's a big year." King Ganon stated. "Bring in the Sheikah!" he shouted.

The doors opened, and two Gerudo guards stepped out. Behind them, a girl, no older than sixteen, was being held tightly by two more guards. Her face was streaked with dirt, and the thin white dress she was wearing was stained with the latter as well. Her hands were tightly bound together. Link couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girl. He wondered what King Ganon planned to do with her.

"Did you say a Sheikah?" his mother asked, surprised.

Everyone knew the story of the Sheikahs. After the Sheikahs betrayed the Royal Family long ago, they were banished from the kingdom. However, the king at the time was wise and fair, and he allowed them to live only in a small village hidden in a canyon, hence the name, the Hidden Village. Every single Sheikah there ever was lived in that Village, and they lived without assistance from any other races. The only time they had interactions with other cultures was when merchants came to trade and when war required them to be drafted.

Unsurprisingly, the Sheikahs were asked to fight alongside Hylians in the Great War. After all, they were a race born for combat and espionage, the ideal police force. But only weeks after the war ended, the Hidden Village was attacked, leaving no survivors.

Well, guess not.

"Why yes, Queen Marin. This young girl was found wandering the deserts of Gerudion not too long ago. Turns out she was a Sheikah, one of the shadow people." King Ganon answered.

"I know, I was shocked too," Queen Nabooru said aloud, "I mean, there should've been a couple left after that scuffle, but I didn't expect to see one in Gerudion!"

The girl lifted her head only slightly. While her bangs covered her eyes, he could almost feel them boring into the Gerudos back, glaring angrily.

"Link, to commemorate your coming of age, you can have her. I think her name was Zelda or something like that. After we took her in I personally trained her to do everything her master tells her to. She will never disobey an order. And even if she does, when whipped this girl will not make a sound. No crying or screams of agony. Quite convenient if you ask me." King Ganon announced proudly.

Queen Nabooru laughed. "Show them honey, show them how good this _slave_ is."

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The guards forced the girl to kneel and then backed away. King Ganon raising the whip above his head. Link stared in horror. The whip came crashing down. All Link heard was the snap of the rope. It echoed in the silence of the room. The girl flinched, but did not cry. She didn't scream in pain. She didn't flail around or rock back and forth in a feeble position. Red began spreading over her back. Link couldn't believe what King Ganon had done, hurting the girl just to show that she wouldn't complain. Just because she didn't complain doesn't mean it didn't hurt!

A round of applause slowly broke out. Link turned around to see the Royal Guards, the Gerudo guards, the maid in the corner, Queen Nabooru, and, his parents! There they were, clapping as if they were watching an act, as if King Ganon only pretended to hit the girl so she wouldn't shriek. King Ganon grinned wickedly and raised the whip above his head to strike her again.

_Because everyone wants the Sheikahs dead._

"No!" Link yelled, and sprang forward.

King Ganon froze in disbelief. His whip was now around the arm of Hyrule's heir to the throne. Link had dove in front of the girl just before the whip hit her. The thin but painful rope had curled around his wrist. His arm burned like crazy, and he let out a small gasp of agony. But he needed to stay strong in case Ganon tried to stike her again.

"Please Your Highness, I am terribly sorry!" King Ganon exclaimed as he unraveled the whip from the prince's arm.

"Why would you hit her like that?" Link yanked his arm back, flicking the rope into the king's face. "For no absolute reason other than to prove how awesome she is at being punished? She did nothing wrong, you filthy little…"

"LINK FARORE AVALON! You have just insulted our country's new hope! You might've shattered the alliance between Hyrule and Gerudion!" Queen Marin screeched.

If Link was mad for hitting an innocent girl, his rage was just tripled. "YOU WHAT?" Link yelled. "When did this happen huh? Without my consent? I thought I was part of this family too! Why would you make an alliance with _them_? What do they have that we need? Well you know what? You can take your tacky little guards and your vulgar slut of a queen and get the hell out of my kingdom! Cause' when I'm king, the first thing I'm doing is burning whatever document says we gotta stick with you for all of eternity! I swear on it!"

Before anyone could say anything, Link grabbed his "slave's" wrist and stormed out of the room. He yanked her through the halls until they reached his room. He led her inside and made sure to slam the door extra loud. Then he released her wrist and slammed his hands on his wooden desk.

* * *

The girl stood there, frozen in fear. So much had happened at once, she didn't have time to digest it all. The prince had stepped in front of the whip for her, then he blew up after hearing about the alliance between Gerudion and Hyrule, then he dragged her over to his room. King Ganon would never let her into his room, unless she was delivering something. Not knowing what else to do, she decided on observing her new master.

He had dark blonde hair that was messy and unkempt. He had light skin with a bit of a tan, probably from outdoor sports or something. He wore a green tunic that was more elaborate than the usual tunic, with tan pants and brown boots. His eyes were blue, almost like hers, only hers were more like ocean blue.

"Well? Don't you have anything better to do than just stand there uselessly?"

The girl immediately snapped out of her trance. She saw the prince glaring at her as if she was just some worthless girl that could easily be replaced. Just when she thought that her new master would treat her differently from her old one, he shattered that hope into pieces. The girl turned abruptly and headed towards the door.

She could escape now if she wanted. It would be so easy.

Link instantly regretted it the moment he yelled at her. What little trust he might've gained in her for defending her was gone. "Wait..." he ran up and grabbed her wrist. "I'm sorry…" he said.

The girl gave no response.

"I said I'm sorry." Why wouldn't she say something? He raised his arm slowly...

She waited for the blow. What did she do? She did what King Ganon had trained her to do. Don't move unless told to. Don't speak unless spoken to, preferably, don't speak at all. And she did that! Why did the prince get mad at her? She wasn't told to do anything!

She could've left. Right there. But why did she stop?

But instead, he tilted her chin to the side and stared into her eyes.

Link's eyes softened as soon as he saw her face. Her eyes were streaming with tears. "Oh Farore, I'm so sorry…" Link whispered. Although her face was stained with dirt, he could see her beauty behind it all. She had blue eyes, similar to his own, and long, straight golden hair and bangs. Her skin was fair and soft. And she was crying. That made her ten times as cute. But he made her cry, and that made him feel really guilty.

Link cupped her face with his hands and rubbed off some of the dirt with his thumbs. The girl flinched and shut her eyes tightly. Link as taken aback, but he assumed she saw it as a threat. Poor girl. "Come on. Maybe one of the maids can prepare a bath for you."

After speaking with one of the maids he arranged a new set of clothes and a bath for the girl. He then left the maids to do their job.

The whole time, the girl stayed silent. The water was warm and bubbly, and she was glad to scrub off months of dirt and grime. Her hair now showed it's true color, a bright blonde, almost yellow. She was given a fuchsia pink dress to wear with white leggings, brown boots, a matching belt and another yellow beaded belt. A blue apron hung from the side of her waist with the Hylian royal crest and a white shawl as well. She tied her hair up with teal and pink ribbons and twirled herself in front of the mirror. _When was the last time she felt like this?_ Then she reminded herself why she was here and went back outside.

After what seemed like an eternity, Link finally heard the door of his bedroom creak open. He turned at the sound and saw the girl peak her head out shyly.

"Come sit here." Link patted the carpet next to him. He had figured the girl would only listen to commands at first, so he had to make them in the nicest way possible. Link was right. The girl immediately rushed and sat where Link had told her to, although she tried to remain as far from him as possible.

"So your name's Zelda, right?" He looked hopefully at the girl, but her head was down. She did however; look much more pleasant now that she had clean clothes on. He sighed. "Cause' you know, I'd feel bad if I had to name you if you already have a name already. So it's Zelda right? I heard King Ganon say that earlier."

The girl still kept her head down, but gave the slightest nod. Link grinned. He was making progress!

Now for step two. "Listen, like I said earlier, I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I was just really pissed off at my parents and those Gerudos, so I kinda took it out on you. I'm really sorry."

Zelda didn't respond. Then Link got up real close in her face. "Will you accept my apology?"

Zelda felt the blush creeping up her cheeks. What was he doing? Why was he this close? Link leaned one inch forward. "Please?"

Zelda nodded.

"Alright!" Link pulled back then pumped his fist into the air. He even caught the slightest smile on Zelda's lips, but it was so quick he wasn't even sure if it was there.

Link had the feeling he was going to get to know this Zelda-girl a lot better. He was going to try and bring her out of her shell, whatever it takes.

* * *

**Hey nakashima0518 here! This is my first story ever, so if its messy, poorly written, uses repetitive words, or just plain****_ retarded_**** than you can either a. GET OFF MY PAGE, b. Kindly explain what I did wrong with a well-rounded review, or c. Accept the fact that I'm not even in high school yet and just bear with me. I got this idea with the inspiration of several other stories, mainly ****_Love in a Hopeless Place_**** by LegendofThunder, ****_It's Yours to Keep_**** by purplefirestarter, and ****_Redemption and Royalty _****by lightwolf8. (Btw those are all really good stories you should read them) Thing is, I've always wondered why, in most fanfictions, Link is really quiet and cold-shouldered (or boisterous and perverted). Zelda always has to get him to open up, so I decided to give her a break and reverse the roles of our two Hylian heroes. Tell me what you think, what characters you want to see, what I should fix, anything. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow I did not expect so many reviews on my first chapter. I went on my email after school and was like "OH MY GOSH PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ MY STORY!" Thank you so much for the support I appreciate it.**

* * *

"My Lord, please excuse my son's behavior, he certainly didn't mean to…"

Ganondorf held up his hand, and King's words ceased. "There is no need to be sorry." he assured the worried couple, "She is, of course, his first servant that he owns himself. I'd be surprised if he wasn't protective of her."

"Yes, but he insulted you wife and kingdom! Do not worry, I won't let something like this happen again. That boy is getting a severe punishment for his actions." Queen Marin protested.

Queen Nabooru laughed. "Don't mention it Marin."Queen Marin cringed at the Gerudo's informality "We need strong rulers like him." Her husband nodded in agreement.

"It takes a while for teenagers like Prince Link to adjust to their power. However, one day he will realize the true extent of his title and use it to the best of his ability. He will also realize everyone has their place, and it is their duty to take it. Just like it is Prince Link's duty to rule, it is Zelda's duty to serve."

* * *

It was still early in the morning. Link was working on his homework his tutor had given him from two days ago, except Link hadn't started it until now. Zelda sat sitting in the corner, patiently waiting for an order. She had managed to get through the rest of yesterday without a single beating. In fact, she hadn't gotten a single command since she left Gerudion. However, she doubted it would happen again. Zelda hated the feeling of idleness. Why was she sitting around again?

_Shoot! I forgot to do my homework! Wait here Zelda, I'm going to try and finish, then I promise we can hang out afterwards! You can just hang around my room; feel free to check out anything you want. I'll be done soon!_

Right. Well, telling her to hang around his room was technically a command, so that's exactly what she was doing.

Link himself was pretty frustrated. Instead of trying to coax Zelda out of her shell he was stuck doing algebra. His tutor was coming at 4:00 PM, so he wanted to get in as much time with Zelda as possible. He honestly felt bad for her. The fact that he didn't know anything about her besides the fact that she was a Sheikah and Ganon trained her to be the perfect slave after finding her wandering in the desert made him want to learn more. He was strangely drawn to her, she was a mystery.

Zelda started playing with her necklace she had since she was a child. It was a tiny silver charm in the shape of the Sheikah symbol. Zelda had made sure to hide it from King Ganondorf and his servants when they checked for any valuables or weapons she might've had. Losing it meant losing the only token she had from her past. She traced her finger along the teardrop that fell from the eye.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice Link plop down next to her. "What's that?" he asked.

Zelda snapped out of her trance and held out the necklace in her hands. No point in trying to deny him, Link was sure to find it anyway.

"Huh? No, I wasn't asking for it, I just wanted to see it." Zelda's heart was filled with relief; he wasn't going to take away her most prized possession.

Link examined the necklace, then tied the two ends of the string around Zelda's neck and released the charm. "It's pretty." he finally said. Zelda's eyes flashed emotions too quickly to be readable, but at least she didn't cringe at his touch.

They sat there staring at each other for a while, trying to read the other's expressions. "Let's go." Link announced. He stood up and held out his hand.

Zelda's arms flew up in front of her face. Link silently cursed himself for moving his hand too quickly. She probably thought he was going to hit her. "It's ok." he said calmly. "I won't hurt you."

Zelda lifted her head, but ignored his hand and got up herself. She walked over to the door and held it open. "Wow, um, thanks." Link quietly walked out and waited for Zelda to follow.

* * *

Zelda made sure to stay two steps behind Link at all times. She wasn't going to risk tripping him by accident or bumping into him or anything like that. Sure, he was kind to her up until now, but that could easily change. It bothered Link however, and he often looked over his shoulder to make sure she was still there. Zelda's footsteps were quiet, almost completely silent. Typical Sheikah characteristics. Sheikahs were known for their stealth, and Zelda was no exception.

After a couple minutes of navigating the castle's myriad of hallways Link made a sharp right turn and beckoned for Zelda to follow. They had reached the castle courtyard. Zelda's eyes lit up at the beautiful sight.

There was a huge fountain at the end of carefully carved stone paths. Lush green grass coated the rich soil, and trees dotted with flower buds swayed in the light breeze. There were elaborate arrangements of flower beds, all seemed to follow a circular pattern around the fountain. Birds sang from the treetops and golden insects lit up parts of the road in the cool mist.

Zelda breathed in the fresh air. It was certainly a change from the dry desert air she was used to.

Link smiled at Zelda's reaction. She was awe at the elegant garden. Link let her absorb it all in before taking her hand and leading her in the direction of the stables. Zelda almost winced when Link did this but caught herself just in time. Instead, she let Link guide her throughout the fog. They strolled in silence, just letting the relaxed atmosphere sink in. Zelda eased her shoulders and lifted her head a bit higher. Link had somewhat of a bounce in his step. Wherever they were going, Link was definitely excited to show her.

Zelda's nose twitched at the familiar scent of livestock. Link had taken her to the stables so she could meet Epona. Link reached for the rusty handles of the door and pulled them open. Because it was so early more horses were in their pens than when he went in the afternoon yesterday. The horses looked up from their mangers and nodded their heads at Link, but stared at the newcomer beside him.

"These are the horse stables. We keep all of the Royal Guard's horses and the carriage horses in here. This is Epona," Link explained, stopping beside a chestnut colored mare.

Epona neighed at her master but kept a blank stare at the girl. Zelda stood behind Link, slightly nervous about meeting the precautious horse.

"It's ok," Link assured "She's a good girl, just a bit wary around strangers. See?" Link reached up to pet the now calm mare. Zelda took one step forward, then reached her hand up to Epona's cheek, where Link had petted Epona before.

To her horror and Link's dismay, the horse neighed loudly and snapped at Zelda's hand. Zelda brought her hand back before the horse could get to it and had already gotten as far away as she could from the mare.

"Epona!" Link shouted. He whirled toward Zelda, who had her eyes fixated on the thrashing horse. "I am so sorry; she has never done that to anyone!" But his words did not reach Zelda.

Link continued to scold the jaunty horse while Zelda shrunk back. Epona turned around, ignoring Link's lecture.

* * *

After Zelda's strange encounter with Epona, Link continued giving her a tour of the courtyard. There wasn't really much else to see, but Link knew it would be a good idea for her to get used to the castle grounds.

The two rounded a corner of the road. They were walking on one of the more elevated parts, near the outskirts. There was a huge dip in the ground, steep enough to slide down, then a nine-foot drop to the lake below. Zelda made sure to keep her feet firmly on the ground. Link didn't seem to be too concerned about it.

Zelda turned around to see how far they were from the castle. Pretty far. It would take about 20 minutes to get back. When she faced front again, Link wasn't there.

Panicking, Zelda spun around, looking for the prince. Nowhere. She looked down just in time to see Link splash into the dark waters below. Zelda let out a small gasp and jumped onto the slopes. She kept her body sideways and slid on the edges of her feet to provide resistance to the slick mud. Just before she fell off the edge of the slope, Zelda lunged forward and dived into the lake.

Link was about to scream for Zelda when the water closed over his head. Bubbles flew out of his mouth. Whatever air he had in his mouth was gone. Link tried to propel himself toward the surface, but being a prince and all he wasn't taught the basics of swimming. He kicked his legs frantically and flapped his arms around but it did nothing.

He was still sinking, sinking, it never seemed to end. The waters were blurry and thick. It was almost impossible to see through it all. His chest was growing heavy and it seemed to weigh him down. Link knew he was dying. And drowning is one of the most painful ways to do it. Link felt himself hit the ground.

A pair of red eyes shot out of the darkness. The waters moved out of the way for them and they continued to approach him. Link's eyes grew wide. The eyes stopped in front of him. Two arms wrapped around his chest and lifted him off the sand.

Link felt himself being pushed upwards. The surface got closer by the second and his heart became full of relief. Every so often they would fall a bit back down, but whatever was pulling him up gave a particularly forceful kick at the water and they would be back on track.

At last the two reached the surface. Link took in a huge gulp of air. Never in his life would he take breathing for granted again. Link sighed and rested his head on his savior's shoulder. His vision was fuzzy, but he instantly knew who it was. Zelda took in a sharp breath of air, and he felt her neck grow warm. They swam back toward shore and Link was pushed onto the shore. Before he blacked out, Link saw a pair of blue eyes before him.

* * *

Zelda had no idea as to what to do. Without her master she had nothing to do. After the fiasco at the lake she had dragged Link all the way to the castle, not to mention getting the both of them back up the cliff-thingy.

Upon arriving at the castle Link was immediately whisked away by several maids and a doctor of some sort. No one took notice to Zelda, whose dress was soaked to the skin. Her hair was sopping wet and she was already starting to sniffle from a cold. Zelda walked away from the commotion so she wouldn't be a burden.

"So you're the little heroine who rescued the prince." Zelda spun around to detect the voice. But no one was there.

"Use your senses girl, then we can talk." Zelda hesitated, then activated her Sheikah eyes. Her sky blue eyes swirled into the vivid red shade of the Sheikah eyes. They enabled her to see much clearer, and her vision range was extended to 320°. Almost like having eyes in the back of her head. A heredity trait of the Sheikah, it was for their eyes that they were valuable allies in warfare and assassination. They could see and defend faster than even the most talented ninja. She could even see through water, wind, magic, objects, and in shadows. Some were so desperate to obtain the Sheikah's ability that they pulled out their own eyes and replaced it with eyes they tore out of Sheikahs. But, it would never work.

Zelda looked around, then stared at the shadow of the castle. A faint outline of a woman was hiding in it. Another Sheikah ability, entering the Shadow Dimension. However, to be able to conceal herself so well was another story.

The woman grinned, then slowly pulled herself out of the shadows. Zelda stepped away to let her get out. The woman was pretty tall, with rough tan skin and thick, gray hair that was tied into a bun. She wore traditional Sheikah clothing, although they were slightly more feminine that usual, and she had her Sheikah eyes activated as well. They were a deep red color, and they stood out from the rest of her just as much as Zelda's did.

"_F__or'shava_." The woman said in Sheikah. "No magic spell could've seen through my shadow hiding." the woman's voice was deep but kind. "My name is Impa. I am the undercover guard of the castle. It is my job to discreetly eliminate any dangerous intruders, in order to prevent word from getting out to the people. You would be surprised at the amount of spies and assassins sent to the palace each week. But lately my job has been quiet, so I haven't been doing much."

Zelda listened intently. It was an honor to meet one of her own descent. Perhaps they were connected in one way or another.

"And I saw what you did. Saving the prince like that. I was considering getting out of my shadow and helping him, but then you stepped in and did the job. I was impressed, believe me. You got a lot of strength for such a small girl."

Zelda smiled at the compliment.

"I also know that you're his personal servant, am I correct? You were captured by King Ganondorf and were trained to be the ultimate slave. But Link refuses to give you any work and instead tries to get you to open up." Impa said.

"You know, he cares a lot about you Zelda. I've never seen him pay this much attention to a maid, ever. Mostly whenever a servant tries to help him he just brushes them off and tells them to take the day off or something. He hates the idea of slaves and masters and plans to make it illegal when he grows up."

Zelda remembered when Link had defended her from Ganon and how he seemed sincere when he said sorry for yelling at her. But wasn't it just an act?

"I've known Prince Link since he was a baby. He wants to learn more about you. Don't shy away from him, thinking it'll get him to back off. Don't think he'll give up on you and just shun you like he does to all maids. Don't expect him to one day turn on you and become cruel and harsh like you assume all people to be. Because that's not Link. If he hated you from the start, believe me, he would've shown it. Link knows a kind face when he sees one. _A__chen devlesa!_"

And with that, Impa slipped back into the shadows, leaving a very confused and conflicted Zelda.

_"Dinlo..." _she cursed to herself. If only they knew.

* * *

**Let's put it this way. Sheikah Eye=Byakugan (for those of you who watch Naruto :3) Impa's here! Yeah I just had to stick her in somehow she's one of my favorite characters. And I added that last piece of dialogue from Zelda to show that she isn't mute or something like that. Because I can't work with a mute character. This story has already been hard enough as it is with Zelda's shyness. Don't worry, she gets better later on. If you want to ask any questions or comments about the story I'll try to get back to you ASAP. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I was rushing to complete this one by the weekend. Sorry to keep you waiting.**

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Link slowly opened his eyes. He was in his bedroom, with at least seven maids and doctors standing over him. Link grunted and shifted slowly. His head hurt like crazy and his breathing was all congested. One maid caught sight of him moving and ushered all the others over. They all looked relieved. Link closed his eyes again and tried to remember what happened. Falling into the lake. Drowning. The mysterious red eyes. Who could it have been?

Zelda! What had happened to her? If Ganondorf were to find her alone… oh Farore, Link didn't want to think about what would happen to her. Especially since she never screamed. Link sat up quickly, but almost immediately sank back into his bed. His medical crew gasped, and begged for him to stay in bed. "Please your Highness, you must get some rest! If you want to get better, you need to replenish your strength!" Link groaned in frustration. "What happened?" he asked. "You fainted after a slave brought you here. Your clothes were all wet. You got a pretty nasty cold for swimming in ice cold water. Do not worry, your illness is not anything severe, but you must take it easy for the next couple of days."

_She isn't just some slave._ If Zelda hadn't been walking with him, Link would've just been left there on the shore. He wasn't sure who rescued him in the waters, he didn't know anyone with bright red eyes like that, but Zelda did bring him back all the way here. "Where's Zelda?" Link questioned. The maids stared at each other in confusion. Link sighed. "The girl who brought me here." "Oh, _her._ I'm afraid I cannot answer that your Majesty. She disappeared after we brought you inside." The doctor watched as a familiar gleam crossed Link's eyes, one that meant he was going to defy his command. "And please, whatever you do, do not go out looking for her. The last thing we need is for you to fall down again, somewhere where we can't find you. Stay in bed your Highness."

Link just slouched back into his bed. "I ask that you take your leave, I assure you, I will be fine on my own." The doctor hesitated, then held the door open for the maids to leave. Link was glad that they left without much of a fight. The doctor left the door slightly open, and Link knew this would make sneaking out a lot easier because the door often creaked when opened. Someone might hear it. Link sat in bed, formulating a plan. He didn't notice Zelda peak her head around the door.

Zelda fingered the door's edge. She wasn't sure if she was permitted to enter her master's room. Did he need her to work now that he was ill? Was this where the tedious chores and cruel punishments began? "Zelda!" Zelda jumped at her name, then looked up to see Link smiling at her. "I was just about to go and look for you! Come sit over here!" Zelda's eyes flickered, and she opened the door the rest of the way and came in. "Can you close the door?" Link requested. Zelda obeyed and softly shut the door behind her. She walked over to Link's bedside and sat down on her knees. Link sat himself up better and beamed at the small girl. "I just wanted to say, thank you so much for lugging me all the way back to the castle! I would've been there for days if you weren't with me then! And I'm sorry Epona snapped at you, and I'm sorry I took you out so far and thank you so much for stopping by to see if I was okay!"

Zelda sat, puzzled by his appreciation. _Why was he thanking her? Wasn't it her duty to make sure her master was okay and not hurt? And why was he sorry?_ It was all so new to Zelda, she wasn't used to being acknowledged for her actions, or people apologizing to her. But a small smile crept across her lips, and she stared at the ground, trying to conceal her hidden gratitude at his credit towards her. Link grinned; she looked so cute when she smiled at the ground like that, as if she didn't want him to see it, but it was obvious it was there.

"So, how have you been? Has anyone been mean to you?" Zelda shook her head. Her bangs fell in front of her face, covering any emotional responses. Link frowned and lifted his hand to her face. Zelda's eyes grew wide, but Link simply brushed her hair away. Zelda exhaled, then slowly her hand towards Link's. She looked up at Link, then took his hand in hers and bowed her head. Link closed his eyes, and the two teenagers stood still, sending each other telepathic messages in the silence. _Get well soon Link… I am sorry I cannot be of anymore use to you._ Link squeezed her hand ever so gently. _Its ok, I'm fine. Don't worry._

A knock on the door broke the stillness of the room. It was Queen Marin's favorite maid, Ilia. Zelda's hand snapped back and she was on her feet before Ilia opened the door. Link silently groaned in frustration, why did people have the habit of showing up at the worst times? Especially _Ilia_. "Oh, pardon me Prince Link," Ilia giggled, "But her royal Highness wishes to see Miss Zelda. Something about a letter from the Lord of the Gerudos…" Link stood up, anger slowly building up inside him. "Then I need to see it too." he said possessively. Ilia shook her head. "I'm sorry your Majesty, but the letter strictly says for no one to see it but Zelda." She reached up and placed a hand of Link's arm in sympathy. Link stepped back and brushed her off. Zelda stood up slowly, shaking in fear. Ilia motioned for her to follow, and Zelda quietly walked out of the room. "Wait, Ilia, are you sure I can't…" Too late. The two girls were already off on their way and had shut the door behind them. Link clenched his fists. What did that bastard want with Zelda? It couldn't be anything good. What if he was blackmailing her? And if Zelda really was his "slave", then shouldn't he get the right to know what was happening in her outside life? There had to be a law for that sort of thing. Link decided to look in the library to see if it was true, also to cool off some steam. He stepped out into the dark hallways. Everything seemed, well, darker today. The skies were a gloomy blue, with specks of gray for clouds. The sun was hidden from his sight. Link's footsteps bounced off the towering walls. _How long was I out for?_, he wondered.

Zelda followed the maid to a large office. While they were walking, Zelda took the time to know her guide. She wore a white blouse with blue, gray, and yellow stitching on it. She wore brown capris and a green bag on her left leg. Ilia had light blonde hair that ended in a weird curl behind her neck. Her green eyes were piercing, and she always wore a somewhat smug look on her face. She had to be at least Link's age because of her height. "So, you're Prince Link's first slave, aren't you?" Zelda shook her head from her thoughts and nodded. Ilia chuckled. "Well, you are lucky you got Link, and not his parents. They are kind and all, but they do believe in slavery and are not afraid to punish. I'm lucky because I'm a servant, I was hired to do this sort of thing, but I still get a lot of work to do. And I'm just Queen Marin's servant! But still, I'd give _anything_ to trade places with you." Ilia smiled at Zelda suggestively. Zelda looked at the floor, unsure of what to say. Realizing she wasn't getting anywhere, Ilia huffed and continued on her way. Zelda sighed in relief and went on. Ilia opened the door to the office and nearly shut the door in Zelda's face. Luckily Zelda slipped in before it did. "Oh dear, I am so sorry!" Ilia exclaimed. "I didn't mean to do that!" She reached out for Zelda's wrist. Zelda flinched, her hands flying to her mouth. Instead, Ilia took Zelda's hand and lead her to the Queen.

"Ah, Ilia, you brought Zelda, no? Thank you dear." Ilia curtsied and went to do something else. Queen Marin turned to Zelda. "So, you know why you're here, I'm assuming." Zelda nodded. Queen Marin smiled and handed Zelda a small brown envelope with the seal of the Gerudos on it. Zelda's hand shook when she peeled off the sticky glue that taped the envelope shut. Queen Marin stood in shock as Zelda's eyes flitted across the page. This girl, this _slave_, could read? Teaching slaves to read was illegal, hence they start an uprising. Link knew that perfectly well. So she must've learned from elsewhere? Impossible!

Zelda quietly gave the letter back. Queen Marin tossed it into the fire, a requirement at the reception of any foreign letter. The queen decided to test this girl's knowledge of literature. "Would you like to write back to King Ganondorf?" she asked sweetly. To her utmost shock, the girl nodded. Queen Marin handed her a piece of parchment and a well of ink with a quill. Queen Marin motioned towards the desk. Zelda sat herself down and began to write. The queen was in a state of shock as she watched the feather curl, twist, stroke, and dot the paper with flourishes and elegant swirls. She did not dare to look at the paper, but she did catch a glimpse of the signature. _Zelda_. Written in perfect cursive. Who was this girl anyway? When she finished Queen Marin snatched the paper and placed it into an envelope. She indicated for Ilia to escort her out.

Link had just taken a book out of the shelf when two arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders. A girlish giggle came from behind them. "Oh Prince Link! It has been too long since we last saw each other like this!" Link silently cursed himself for not hearing the door open and turned toward Ilia. He sucked in his breath and smiled at Ilia. "Oh, hey Ilia." Ilia giggled again. "How have you been? I've been dying to see you, but with work and all…"

Link already felt a headache coming on. "Wow that's nice. Do you know where Zelda is?" Link asked with the nicest voice he could. Ilia's furrowed her brow, but then beamed innocently. "Ah, your slave? I sent her to Castle Town on an errand. I was originally supposed to do it, but Zelda volunteered to. She's just the sweetest girl, is she not? She heard about how I wanted to visit you, and she was like 'Oh, don't worry. I don't mind getting it!' And I was like 'Are you sure?' And she was like 'Definitely!' So what do you want to do now your Highness?"

Link pushed Ilia off him. Zelda, alone, Castle Town. What was Ilia thinking? Zelda didn't know her way around Castle Town. What if she got lost? Link ran straight toward the door. "But, Prince Link, where are you going! We just got here!" "I gotta look for Zelda!" he shouted.

Ilia was Link's childhood friend. She had come from a rich family and they met at a ball hosted by the King and Queen. They had become best friends, and begged their parents to see each other every day. One day they made a promise, written on paper, that they would one day marry. The Queen was so moved by this that she offered to take Ilia in. Her parents agreed and Ilia was made into a servant. But, as time went on, Link started to see Ilia as somewhat annoying when she started giggling whenever she was around him and whenever she pushed other girls away from him. It was almost like Ilia was _flirting_ with him. But Link didn't want to think of such a possibility. They were just friends, and Link wanted to keep it that way.

Ilia chased after the frantic prince. She hoped Zelda was already deep into the streets of Castle Town. So you could imagine Ilia's expression when she saw Zelda casually walking through the Castle's gates with a basket full of milk like Ilia asked. "Zelda!" Link ran straight into Zelda and threw his arms around her. Zelda nearly dropped her basket in response, but set it down while Link pulled her close. Ilia watched this in horror. Her mouth was quivering, and her eyes burned with rage. "Thank the goddesses you're okay…" Link whispered. _Thank the goddesses you're okay…_ Ilia mimicked in her head. Sadly, Ilia reached for the basket and walked away.

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**Now, if you're like me, as soon as you read the name Ilia, you were like "Oh crap why did you have to add _her_ in here? Now she's going to make everything horrible and sappy and dumb and cliche!" To that I say, yes. Now that I'm writing my own story I realize how much fun it is to make Ilia cry and burn up with anger when she sees Link and Zelda. Consider it fan service. Questions? Comments? Click dat little review button right there. Also, I'm thinking about writing a series of songfics. You know the Seven Deadly Sins songs by Vocaloid? (_Daughter of Evil, The Taylor Shop on Enbizaka, Madness of Duke Venomania_, etc.) I was thinking of writing a oneshot for each one featuring the characters from Zelda and SSBB. So far I only know the casting of _Madness of Duke Venomania_ and _Judgement of Corruption_. If you have any ideas as to who should play the roles of the Vocaloid singers, please post in the form of a review or a message. I plan on using the each character as a main singer only once, but they can be a singer in more than one song as long as they're not the main singer. For an example, if I use Zelda as Hatsune Miku in _Gift from the Princess Who Brought Sleep_, I'm not going to use her as MEIKO in _Evil Food Eater Conchita_. However, if I wanted to, I could use Zelda as Kagamine Rin's voice in _Evil Food Eater Conchita_, since Rin isn't the main singer. Oh and if I use Zelda as Rin in one song I can use Peach as Rin in another. You know what I mean. The remaining songs are _Gift From the Princess Who Brought Sleep, The Taylor Shop on Enbizaka, Evil Food Eater Conchita,_ and_ Daughter of Evil_. Don't worry about the people in _Madness of Duke Venomania __and __Judgement of __Corruption_. Characters are alway subject to change. The sooner I get ideas, the sooner the series will come out. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yeah its been a while. I had a hard time writing this one, because I needed a filler chapter before I got to the main plot again. Sorry for any inconvenience.**

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Several weeks passed by. So far, Zelda hadn't spoken to anyone, but she did seem to be adjusting to the castle life. Occasionally she would even smile. Link and Zelda would often have long, one-sided conversations, usually about Link complaining about being trapped up in a palace all day and not having anything to do. Surprisingly Link enjoyed her lack of speaking in their talks. It was nice to have someone listen to him rant on how deprived he was, never getting to go anywhere without a guard or play other children his age, without interrupting with a scolding on how lucky he was and how other people didn't even get half the luxuries he had. Zelda would listen intently, sometimes nodding in agreement, even patting his arm in pity that she never knew. It proved the theory that women can't listen in conversations false. Link didn't even realize that everything he had, hearty meals, fresh baths every day, annoying guards making sure he didn't slip or fall or get lost, and maids appearing at his beck and call, Zelda didn't have but probably needed a lot more than he did.

His face turned red, and ducked his head in shame. Zelda tilted her head to the side in confusion. "I… I'm sorry Zelda." Link stammered. "I didn't even realize… that I've been complaining so much about things that you could've used…" Zelda's eyes softened in acknowledgement. "I've never been grateful for what I had, never once stopped to say thanks… Farore, Zelda, what have I been doing this whole time? I could've been helping others instead of trying to turn away help myself!"

"Especially you Zelda. If I had sent out help earlier, you could've lived a normal life." Zelda stopped, her face paled. Her head shook no. "Wha…What do you mean 'no'?" Link questioned. "You mean I shouldn't try and help the poor?" Zelda shook her head harder. "Do you mean you had help already?" Link guessed. Zelda let her head drop, and sadly shook no. "Do you mean I couldn't have helped you no matter what I tried…" Link said quietly. Zelda lifted her head and nodded. She smiled ruefully. "I'm sure there could've been some way we could reach you… oh right… you lived in Gerudion. Zelda's eyes indicated she was deep in thought but as usual she was impossible to read.

"Link! Your tutor is ready for you!" a maid appeared in the doorway. Link stood up and helped Zelda up as well. "You're free to go wherever you like , as long as it's within the palace grounds. I'll be back soon." Link left with the maid. Zelda sighed to herself. It was one of _those_ days again. She paced around the endless hallways, looking for something to do. She spotted Ilia trying to haul some crates, full of milk probably, into the kitchen, with some difficulty, mind you.

"Ah!" Ilia struggled to lift a particularly large wooden crate. Metal clanked inside. Zelda rushed over and lifted the other end of the crate. Ilia's eyes widened, but she kept her cool and let Zelda guide her into the kitchen. The two teenagers set the box down with a thud. "Thanks…" Ilia mumbled, then flipped her hair and went to pick up the others. She was even more shocked when Zelda followed her outside the palace to where the other crates were waiting. Zelda placed her hands under a crate and hefted it easily into the air. So that's what she was doing wrong. Ilia was gripping the sides of the crate, hugging it tightly. She switched her position to match Zelda's. The two girls walked in silence, excluding the thumps and banging of the milk jugs inside. Zelda set hers down effortlessly and went to assist Ilia as well. Ilia eyed her suspiciously. When all the crates were put away, Ilia snapped. "Why are you helping me anyway?" she retorted coldly. Zelda just shrugged. "Did Prince Link give you the day off or something? Oh wait, he has his tutor. Yeah, that makes a little more sense now. The prince _never _gives his servants days off."

Zelda stared with a blank expression on her face. Ilia wiped the sweat off her brow, then yanked her hand back when she saw Zelda wasn't even panting. And Zelda had moved twice the crates Ilia did, and twice the speed. "Well, I got the rest of the day off from Queen Marin. See ya around, I guess." Ilia walked off. She sweat-dropped when she saw Zelda following her soundlessly. Ilia stopped and let the girl catch up. They both stared at each other awkwardly. Ilia was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice the subtle creaking of the chandelier above her. It came down with a large _snap_! Ilia screamed as the large ornament came crashing over her.

Everything was a blur. One minute she saw a 30-pound falling over her, the next she sees it laying on the ground about a yard away from her in pieces. And then Zelda lands on the ground out of nowhere! What just happened?

Several maid poked their heads just in time to see Zelda jump up and kick the crystal chandelier, multiple times by spinning, in the air, while glass from her previous kicks sprayed everywhere, pushing it out of Ilia's way. They stood in shock as the Sheikah girl landed, unharmed with the exception of several slits on her face from the glass, landed onto the glass-coated carpet. They stood, aghast, and some broke into a nervous applause. They returned to their work, somewhat frightened.

Ilia broke off into a run for her dorm and shut the door quickly. Zelda stopped her pace and stared sadly at the door that clicked with a lock. Ilia sank to the floor with a sigh. _Just who was this girl anyway? I've been lifting those crates for years, being an indentured servant and all, always got the job done on my own. How was she, who probably never did heavy duty work in her life, able to surpass me with such ease! And her soundless footsteps, how creepy! _But that wasn't the worst of it. Ilia had seen it. It happened in a fraction of a second. No one else probably saw it. They were too far away. But Ilia wasn't. Just before Zelda leaped into the air, her eyes flashed red. A bright, bloodshot red A bright, bloodshot red that covered her normally sky-blue irises, but the whites of her eyes remained the same. Ilia was scared out of her mind.

Zelda felt a mixture of pain from her cuts, sadness that her friend had left, ashamed that she let her deadly skills show so soon, and déjà vu from the look on the maids and Ilia's face when they witnessed Zelda's hidden abilities. Although they hadn't seen anything, and hopefully they never will. Why did she have to be so impulsive like that? Now Ilia, who seemed like a nice girl, would never want to be her friend. She was probably scared out of her mind. Why did she have to mess everything up?

Depressed, Zelda continued wandering the endless halls of Hyrule Castle. The ceilings seemed to loom above her, and the gloomy weather seen from the tall windows overpowered the somewhat positive tone of the palace. Deep down, Zelda wished Link's classes would be over. Even with his strange displays of affection towards her, Zelda loved his cheerful, childish personality, and his overprotectiveness of her. Link made Zelda feel like she belonged, that she was needed somewhere. That she wasn't some insignificant slave, who just so happened to be one of the last of an ancient, powerful clan, which would only make herself look better in front of a heartless slave master who controlled her fate. Link was, in a way, Zelda's slave master, but he certainly wasn't heartless like King Ganon was. She now didn't have as many doubts about Link hurting her, but it was in her nature to be cautious of him anyway.

Zelda kept thinking and didn't notice when she bumped into someone. "Link has finished with his tutoring and wishes to see you." her fellow Sheikah said in an amused tone. Impa smirked at Zelda suggestively. "Seems he's taken quite a liking to you Zelda," Impa drawled, putting emphasis on the 'qu', 'li', and the 'Zel'. Zelda bowed her head in thanks, trying to appear unfazed by Impa's implication that she and Link were in a relationship like that. She walked past Impa down the hall in the direction Link's room was in. "The prince and his slave, won't this be an interesting love story…" Impa muttered, but loud enough for Zelda to hear. Flustered, Zelda hurriedly walked faster to Link's room.

Zelda hesitated, deciding whether to knock or not. She opted not to, what were the chances Link was getting dressed. Softly, she opened to door, and saw Link at his desk, staring at a photo and a small piece of paper with a child's writing on it. She stopped, wondering if she should enter. Slowly, Zelda tip-toed Sheikah style to where Link was sitting. She knew it was rude to sneak up on people, especially if you had no intention of scaring them, but she could clearly see the documents now. One was a photo of younger Link and a small girl. The girl looked vaguely familiar. Next was the letter. The child's writing was more refined than she thought. It said, "We, Link and (the name was too smudged to read), hereby promise to marry on December 25th of our 18th year of life. We will pledge our love for each other and…."

Link's hand balled into a fist, crumpling the paper with it. Zelda jumped as Link stood up and threw it against his fireplace. It landed into the flickering flames below. Zelda watched as the paper curled on the edges, turning soot black, until it reached the center and the whole thing turned obscure. Link clenched his fists, angry at whatever person wrote the document. He cursed under his breath, and Zelda's eyes grew wide at these words she thought were never supposed to be used. Link sighed, and looked at Zelda. His eyes showed no shock, as if he knew she was there the whole time. "You didn't see that…did you?" Link softly growled. Zelda took one step back, and Link stepped foward once in her place. "Well? Did you…?" Zelda continued backing up until her back thumped against a wall.

Link knew what would happen to Zelda if someone knew she had seen it. She would swear to tell the truth, and that would be it. Link continued advancing toward her until she hit the wall. "Did you, or did you not see the note?" Zelda looked to her left nervously, at the door. Link slammed his hand just to her left. Zelda nodded furiously, her legs shaking. Link realized he was holding his breath, and he exhaled. Zelda's head was titled down, her eyes glassy. He placed his firm hands on her shoulders. "Look at me." Link ordered. Unexpectedly, Zelda didn't listen. "Look at me." Link tried again. Still no response. "Zelda. I order you to look up." Link scared himself at the authority if his voice. Zelda listened this time, aghast at Link's sudden change in attitude. "Please Zelda…Don't ever tell anyone about what you saw. I can't let anyone know about it…it was supposed to be a secret…" Zelda's face softened, feeling sympathetic towards Link. Zelda brought her hand just below her shoulder subconsciously, guilty of herself. Zelda nodded, then walked over to his desk. She fumbled through the drawers until she found a small pocket knife. She held out her wrist and positioned the knife to cut herself. Link's eyes grew wide, praying that she was only kidding. Just before she split her skin Link ran over and grabbed the knife, flinging it to the other side of the room. "Don't." he commanded, again with the authority. Zelda eyed him suspiciously. She slowly started toward the knife. Link grabbed her wrist and yanked the surprised girl towards him. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing her head onto his chest with his free hand. Zelda sighed, Link was unsure if it was in comfort or irritation. Link didn't care, it was the only thing he could think of to get her away from the blade.

"Don't do that ever again. Don't even think about doing that." Link told her. Zelda nodded. "Promise?" Link asked. Zelda stepped back and crossed over her heart. Link smiled, recognizing the Sheikah promise ritual. _Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye_. It meant that if Zelda were to break her promise, Link would have to slice across her heart and hope she's dead, because afterward he'd have to stick a needle in her eye, so that no one could steal her Sheikah eyes if they were activated while she died, which in the ancient times they usually were most of the time. If the needle was in her eyes then the eyes would be deactivated, as all Sheikah eyes do when exposed to extreme, direct pain. Link hoped he wouldn't have to.

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**Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye! I tried to figure out where that phrase cam from, because it made no sense. Well, I decided to make it make sense. I am now hooked on Minecraft. Now you see why I was busy? Summer is almost here. I'll be able to write a lot more then. Check out _We Are Young_, my first oneshot. I got the idea from watching the music video (That's where the fight scene came from) Also read _Love, Mystery _by _Wendbria_ if you're a Naruto fan. Just a shoutout!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Nyaaaaaa...**

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_ "Ah, good day Lord Ganondorf!"_ Link gritted his teeth in anger. The day he dreaded had come, when the rulers of Gerudion and Hyrule would formally announce their alliance with one another. There would be a ball hosted this evening to commemorate the event. Of course, it was no surprise that the young prince was required to attend. _"Who knows, maybe you'll even meet a charming young woman!" _as his mother put it. Link hoped he wouldn't, not this early anyway. He had some time; he was only 18…right? Link sighed as various attendants fiddled with his tight collar and wrinkled pants. "Stand still, please your Highness…" Link grunted and shifted his weight on the pedestal he was standing on, straightening his back. Link watched as his servants inserted multiple needles and pins into the hem of his clothes. How this was helping, Link was not sure.

"Is it done yet?" Link asked for the 10th time. "Almost your Highness." was the reply. Link honestly felt like banging his head against the wall. He'd been standing here for hours. What was the point in dressing up so fancily for an event that didn't last more than a day? Link hoped his father was having just as hard of a time as he was.

Zelda wasn't even here to for him to talk to, although Link would never say some of the things he said to her in front of everyone else. The things they talked about (more like Link talked about) were private. But her company would still be just as pleasing. Link had tried to get Zelda an invitation to the ball as well. His parents refused at first. _"I'm sorry Link, but we cannot have a slave attending this event like a normal guest. This day is an important one, and I cannot afford to have you distracted!" _Distracted? So that's how it is. After a bit more convincing the two weary royals complied, so as long as Zelda should stay in the section of the ballroom designated for those of lesser class. Most parties in Hyrule had different areas for each class, in the case of a ball, the royals and government officials would stay mostly in the center or the fanciest part of the ballroom, while peasants, if they were even invited, would stray further away from the royals. The foods and services weren't as nice here; it was a bit more crowded also. These special sections weren't titled officially, it just subconsciously happened that way. Link didn't like the idea of Zelda being around the poorer classes, people there tended to take advantage of the numerous drinks being offered in larger portions. Link knew Zelda wouldn't drink, but there have been occasions where drinkers have gotten a bit too rowdy. If they ever put a hand on Zelda…

"Finished your Highness! My, my, you look stunning if I do say so myself!" Link faced the large mirror in his room. As much as he hated dressing up, this outfit suited him perfectly. The forest green coat top looked surprisingly similar to the tunic he loved to wear so much, but with a matching green collar and a embellished belt. A golden sash also draped across his chests with several badges of Hyrule on it. The beige dress pants were more comfortable than they looked, and his brown shoes were the perfect size. He could probably run in them without getting blisters! The charcoal cape complimented his outfit well. Such a nice outfit for such a sad occasion, for Link anyway. "One more thing…" Link felt his hat being swiped off his head. "Hey!" he yelped, but the hat was soon replaced by a light metal object. Link felt the object on his head, a crown. The one he hardly wore, only to sacred holidays and such. Why'd he have to wear it now?

"Come now Prince Link," a maid spoke up, "We must get you to see your parents soon." "Can't I see Zelda first?" The maid looked skeptical at first. "Alright… but be back before three!" "Okay!" Link called out, already by the door. He stopped, remembering something. "Oh, by the way, thank you!"

The maid shook her head in disbelief. Never, not once had Link ever said thank you to anyone.

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Link navigated the castle halls with ease. Living here his whole life had made him an expert on this sort of thing. Even some of the servants got lost sometimes. Link made his way towards the servants' quarters. Then he bumped into someone.

"Ow! Watch where you're going, oh, hello Prince Link!" Ilia said cheerfully. Link groaned, reason one why Ilia had changed for the worst, the title. Link would've taken the nickname 'fairy boy' over his best friend calling him by his full name. Ilia quickly got up and held out her hand. He hesitated, then took her offer. Link couldn't help but notice the slight tug towards her Ilia gave him when he stood up. "Wow," Ilia giggled, "You look really good! I mean you looked before, but…" Reason two: Pointless compliments. "So what brings you here Prince?" Ilia asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice. "I was just here to check on Zelda…" Link started, but he was cut off. "Oh, Zelda? She left a while ago. Why, is she your date?" Reason three: Nosiness. "N-no, I just…" "Oh! In that case, how about I be your date? It would be fun, just like when we were kids." Reasons four, five, and six: Pushing away any other girls; self-flattery; and bringing up the past.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt…" Link trailed off. Ilia's eyes lit up with pure happiness, something Link hadn't seen in her for a while.

"Great! Oh, now I have to get ready!" Ilia exclaimed, "Where should we meet up?" "In front of the entrance to the ballroom, somewhat off to the eastern side!" Link called back. His heart panged when he realized having Ilia as his date would mean he wouldn't get to see Zelda as much as he hoped to. Link could only pray that she would be fine on her own.

After half an hour of searching, Link finally gave up on seeing Zelda before the ball. He had checked the entire palace, at least, the areas she was permitted to go to. He had asked numerous servants and maids, all preparing for the huge event. She was nowhere to be found. Sadly, Link walked back toward the front entrance to the ballroom.

"Prince Link! I've been waiting for you!" Link felt himself nearly tipping over and falling to the ground. He steadied himself, then looked down at a beaming Ilia. "Oh, hey…" Link pulled away and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "So…what do you think?" Ilia twirled around in her new dress. Link had to admit, she did look beautiful.

Ilia wore a floor length, strapless pearl-colored gown. On it was a long green vine sewn into the dress. The vine went all around the hem, then stretched up, eventually meeting up with one another at the right side of her waist, then twisting up, weaving intricate patterns on her bust. Her hair was pulled back with a green headband to match her green heels. She also wore turquoise earrings and necklaces.

_ "Hey, wait up!"_

_ Link_ _and turned toward the little girl running towards him. _

_ "Who are you?" the younger Link demanded._

_ The girl giggled. "My parents are at this party, so I was forced to come. At first, I really wanted to, but now I wish I hadn't come. It's soooo boring!"_

_ Link eyed the other girl questionably. He didn't like it when his questions were ignored."All balls and galas are like that. You've never been to one before?"_

_ "Oh goodness no. First time! Is it your first time too? Because then that'd be soooo cool! Cause then we'd be totally alike, right?"_

_ "Actually, I've been to several adult parties in my lifetime."_

_ "Lifetime? I only hear adults say that word. How old are you?"_

_ "Six."_

_ "Wow, me too! Heehee, do you like playing tag?"_

_ "I'd like your name first please."_

_ "Ilia! Ilia Ordona of Ordon Province!"_

_ "And, may I ask, what is this activity you wish to play, tag?"_

_ "You don't know what tag is? It's a game. One person is 'it', and they have to run around and catch the other players. The other people have to run away from the person who is 'it' so they don't get caught. To catch another player, 'it' has to touch them. Then they shout 'Tag, you're it!' The new person has to be 'it', and chase the other players."_

_ "I see. Well, we cannot play tag here. It is far too crowded and there isn't any space to play any sort of game. Besides, even if there was, I would not like to anyway. It seems far too childish."_

_ "But you're only six, like me! My cousins back home are like, 14, and even they play tag with us!"_

_ "Well, they should learn to act their age."_

_ Ilia glared at the young boy. He had turned his head to the side stubbornly. A smirk spread across Ilia's face._

_ "Tag! You're it!" Ilia laughed then ran a few steps away from him._

_ Link glared at her. "I thought I told you I wasn't going to play your silly game. It's a waste of time."_

_ Ilia stuck her tongue at him. "Well, if you don't tag me, you'll be it for the rest of your life! No girl will ever want to marry someone who's 'it'!" She laughed mockingly and danced around tauntingly._

_ Link felt the anger boil up inside of him. If a girl wouldn't marry him because he was 'it', then he would never be able to take on the role of King!_

_ "Fine! I will play your game of tag!" the young prince spat. He lunged for Ilia, but she merely stepped aside. Link had leaned in too far and toppled to the ground. He looked up, frustrated, to see Ilia about two meters away, still making her weird facial expression. Link got up angrily. "Idiot! Get back here, now!" Link chased after the nimble girl, who seemed to work like the wind, weaving through the dancers with huge trays of drinks and the lively dancers. Link stumbled through the crowds, not able to dodge the passerby as easily. Several "Dear Nayru…"s and "Oh my…"s and "Be careful child!"s came from the disturbed guests. Link finally caught up to Ilia and was about to reach for her shoulder when a large hand clamped down on his shoulder and yanked him back._

_ Link yelped in surprise. He noticed the shocked look on Ilia's face. "What is the meaning of this, Prince Link?"_

_ Ilia looked even more taken aback. Here she was, facing the King of Hyrule and the heir to the throne himself, the boy who didn't know what tag was. She held back a girlish squeal and bowed down for the two royals. "This girl personally tormented me into playing this stupid game, tag! Send her to the dungeons father!"_

_ Ilia looked scared out of her mind. "Link! Do not say such things. This girl has done you no harm, only minor commotion in our party. You should be happy that the Great War is over, it is why we're celebrating." Link glared at his father. "I won't risk the pleasure of celebration until the King of the Gerudos is dead! He killed Mar-!" _

_ Queen Marin rushed to her husband's side and dragged the screaming boy away from the scene. "I'm terribly sorry child, tell me, what is your name?" the King asked kindly. "I-Ilia Ordona of Ordon Province your Highness." The King smiled. "So, how might I make it up to you, Lady Ilia?" Ilia giggled at the title added to her name. "I… I'd like to see Prince Link again, if that's alright with you…" _

_ The old King rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I suppose that could be arranged… Alright, I'll see what I can do. I believe your parents are right over there, I was talking to them earlier…"_

Link smiled at the memory. Ilia had taught him to be a kid again. That was why he tried not to get as frustrated with her as much as possible. And because she helped him in his time of need, Link would finally be able to repay his debt toward Ilia Ordona.

* * *

**Haha I decided to make Link one of those kids who are so serious and hate fun when he was ****younger (obviously not anymore, lol). But he's like that for a reason, I mentioned it somewhere in this chapter. Ganondorf must've killed someone very close to Link, but his parents are still alive! The suspense! Anyway I'm going to have some fun with this ball. It'll take a few chapters. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yup this one's kind of short but I'll have another one posted shortly afterwards.**

* * *

"Ready to go?" Ilia asked

Link shook his head. "Hm? Oh yeah, ready."

"Heh. Doesn't this remind you of the day we met?"

Link smiled. "Yeah, I was just thinking about that."

Ilia reached over and took Link's arm. The two butlers opened the giant doors that led into the ballroom. Link took a deep breath and walked inside, Ilia following shortly afterward.

The whole party froze. The orchestra stopped playing their instruments, and the dancers stopped dancing. The King and Queen stood up from their thrones, which were facing the doors. Link and Ilia stepped in and started their way toward center of the room. As they passed by, people bowed and curtsied to them. Ilia nodded her head at several of the gossiping maids in the corner, giving them a quick wink, which caused them to giggle hysterically. The two made it up to the thrones and bowed to the royals. Ilia let go of Link's arm. "I am very pleased that you decided to attend Prince Link," Queen Marin began. "And Ilia, I am ever so glad that you could make it today. I know you have your family in Ordon and all." "Oh, it's an honor to be here your Majesty. Thank you ever so much for letting me come."

While the two women were chatting, Link took the opportunity to ask any unanswered questions about the celebration. "So, where are the Gerudo rulers anyway? I don't see them anywhere." "They had some business to attend to in Hyrule beforehand, but they should be here soon."

A sneeze came from behind them. Link and Ilia instinctively turned around. As if on cue, the King and Queen of Gerudion were standing right behind them. "Ah, good day Lord Ganondorf!" King Alfon said happily. Queen Nabooru wore red pants that were slit down the side exposing her long legs. However, they were tied around her ankles so they wouldn't swing around so much. A light pink silk that circled her waist that acted like a belt, with two strips of the same cloth hanging at her sides. She wore a matching red bodice that was cut off an inch or two below her breast line that was laced up too loosely for Link's liking. Silk pink arm warmers, same shade as her belt, adorned her arms, and a pink veil hung from her ears but showed her mouth. She also wore various blue and green gems. Ganondorf wore the typical outfit for a Gerudo ruler, a floor length black robe with a desert red vest that had gold designs on it. A white belt with a weird curvy hourglass shape and swirls, half red and half blue, held the robe in place. The Gerudo king also had a black jacket with sleeves that reached the floor. On his sleeves was a odd design that seemed a bit creepy to Link. He also had a dark green stone shaped into an animal head on his chest. It had orange pearls for eyes and one between its ears.

"It is wonderful to see you again my friend. Come, sit with us!" King Alfon motioned toward the two thrones sitting on a platform slightly below the Hylian monarchs. Link didn't even know they were there. "Link," Queen Marin began, "The seventh song of the party is about to play. It is tradition that the heir to Hyrule starts it. Get up there and dance for us!"

"I know Mother…" Link groaned. He led Ilia down the stairs and did as he was told. The song ended pretty quickly, it was only several minutes long. Link knew he would hate it when he had to start the first song as the King, which was nine minutes. Most dancers took a break halfway through, but the monarchs always had to dance to the end. This was probably why Link's parents were sitting at the thrones when he came in. "I'm going to talk to some of my friends, meet me here at 11:30?" Ilia asked, Link checked the clock right above the entrance. 8:48. "Ok, see you then." Perfect. Link didn't expect Ilia to leave so abruptly, and for so long, but this gave him more time to himself.

Link walked over to a nearby knight. "So, how's it going?" Link asked, ignoring all formalities normally necessary. "Oh, your Highness, yes, this party is quite the delight. Haven't had one in a while, right?" the knight replied. His hair was already graying, but it was styled into a Mohawk. He also had a triangular beard, along with a mustache that only went along the sides of his mouth, not under his nose. It would look weird on any other person, but on this guy it looked good. "I know, right? Well, you know I'm Link, but what's your name?"

"Captain Auru your Highness."

"Well, nice to might ya Capt'n."

"You too, Prince Link"

Link liked this guy. He had an easygoing personality and was well spoken and calm.

Link laughed, met a few nobles, bumped into several dancers, even played his ocarina for one dance. _I haven't enjoyed myself like this in a while. _Link checked the clock. 11:23. He headed toward the spot Ilia designated for them to meet up. Ilia was chatting with someone, so her back was turned to him. Link decided to be adventurous and try to scare her.

"Boo!" Link yelled and tapped Ilia on the shoulder. Ilia yelped loudly and whipped around. Her hand was held to her heart as she scolded Link. "Prince Link! You scared me!" Link started laughing until he saw who she was talking to. "L-Lord Ganondorf…" Link muttered, looking down. "Good to see you again Prince Link. You seem to be clearly enjoying yourself." "Yes, my parents threw quite the party, all in your honor King Ganon." The Gerudo looked taken aback for a minute, then regained composure. "Well, that is true, but it is also in celebration of the soon-to-come wedding of yo-"

"Prince Link!" Ilia butted in. "If…If someone promised to do something one day, and then many years later the person who was promised to wanted that something to be done, would that someone still have to do it?" Link took a minute to think. "I guess so, I mean, a promise is a promise."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" King Alfon's voice boomed throughout the ballroom. "I am pleased to announce that our prince, Link Farore Avalon, has now found a woman to rule beside him on the throne!" The crowd began an uproar of whispers and questions directed at the King and Queen.

"When did this happen?"

"Are they engaged?"

"When will they have an heir?"

Link felt his stomach flip over. Already they were talking about having children. And Link was well-educated, he knew how that was going to happen.

"Who is she?"

Link turned towards Ilia. Shyly, Ilia pulled out the note from behind her back. The note that they had wrote years ago. The note Link thought she had forgotten about. The note Link hoped would never be seen by any other eyes other than his.

"I…I kept it all these years… Link… I love you!" Ilia started to cry tears of joy. She threw her arms around Link's neck. Link pulled back. "W-What?" Ilia beamed ear to ear. "Link, we're getting married!"

"Ilia has been working as an indentured servant for ten years as my personal handmaid. She has worked free of cause as long as she could have one thing when her term was over. I knew Ilia was a good girl, so I agreed. Now, she said she wanted to marry my son, Prince Link! They will be wedded in December, four months from now!"

The crowd erupted in applause. Link's head was pounding, his vision blurring. He couldn't think straight, it was all too much to take in. What just happened? Link shook his head into place. He smiled wryly at Ilia. "Wow… I can't believe it…"

Even King Ganon and Queen Nabooru looked a bit shocked. "My, my Marin…aren't they a bit…you know… young?" Queen Marin laughed. "Maybe so… but that means I can retire earlier! Besides, it was as per Ilia's request." "Ah, I see." Queen Nabooru answered. She walked up to Link. "Would you mind if I danced with you, Prince Link?" "Oh, sure…"

Link was a bit confused as to why Nabooru asked him to dance. But he agreed because it was courtesy to do so.

* * *

"So? Spill. When did you write such a letter Link?" Nabooru asked as they waltzed. Link sucked in a breath. Although he didn't really like the title being added to his name, he found it awkward when someone of supposed high status left it out. Almost, out of place. "Well," Link began, "When we were eight, that was when Ilia was taken in as an indentured servant. I was so happy…that I wrote that letter with Ilia. I didn't think it would actually lead to something serious…"

"Hm. And by 'serious', that doesn't imply something good, I'm assuming." Queen Nabooru commented. "Well, I mean, it could be worse, I could've been forced to marry someone I don't know at all. I guess marrying Ilia is a lot better than that. And Ilia isn't too bad, I mean, we were friends since we were six." Link replied.

"But, I sense there is something bothering you, am I right?" "Uh… this might sound a bit weird, but, I'd prefer that Ilia and I just stay friends." the young prince admitted. "Oh? And why is that?" Nabooru pressed on.

Link twirled Nabooru before continuing. "She's been irritating me lately. Always pushing away other girls who try to talk to me, always being so clingy. But now I see why." Nabooru looked deep in thought before answering. "Or, perhaps there is someone else in your life that you're interested in?" Nabooru smirked.

The song ended. Link's mind snapped into place. "Wait a minute, why am I telling you all this? You're on the other side! I gotta go!" Link stomped off in anger.

"Queen Nabooru, do you know where Link is after you guys finished dancing?"

The desert queen pointed in the opposite direction from where Link went.

Link couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get outside, for some fresh air and recuperating. Besides, around 11:00 was when people started losing their soberness. It wasn't any fun to hang around then. How did Nabooru get him to open up like that? It was as if she entered his brain through some sort of spell. Now she had dirt on him. Not a good way to start.

Then there was Ilia. How could she do this to him? Whatever feelings of rebuilt friendship he had were now just a pile of rubble. It was insane. Now he viewed his former friend as some sort of stalker, someone who just wouldn't accept that he was growing up too. And why would his own mother announce that to the whole kingdom without his consent? Now there was no way to fix things, if there was even a way. The whole thing was just overwhelming and made Link sick to his stomach. There was still so much more that Link wanted to do, to see, to experience.

Like true love.

* * *

**Aww I love writing corny stuff that would normally drive me crazy in other people's fanfictions. In my two main inspiration stories Zelda is being forced to marry Ganondorf. Hence, Link is being forced to marry Ilia. Except, technically it was by his own free will, because he did write that letter, but you know what I mean. It's soooo hot out. Thanks for reading!**

**Oh yeah, don't worry, I'm a Zelink fan, I just believe when people fall in love it should be gradually, so just be patient, and trust me, you will be rewarded!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Number 7! I had a lot of fun with this chapter, first real sign of Zelink! Please excuse my language :3**

* * *

Link took another swing at the training dummy. _Left, right, up, diagonal. _The metal sword sliced right through the cotton filled clothing around it, hitting the hard metal pole that held it up. Frustrated, Link flicked his wrist. The dummy's head went rolling to the ground.

_Who am I really? Would my personality change if I were born into a commoner's family? Would it change if I were free to make my choices based on what I wanted? Are my dreams of prosperity and safety for my kingdom my dreams or my parents' dreams passed onto me? What is my dream?_

Adventure. That's what he wanted. A trip across Hyrule. Just like the one his ancestor took to save Hyrule, only maybe without the whole I-need-to-save-the-kingdom-or-else-everyone's-gonna-die aspect of it. He could go disguised, so no one would recognize him. Maybe with a bodyguard, but Link knew he was capable of protecting himself. So did his parents. Maybe not a bodyguard, but a navigator, no, a sidekick! Same as his ancestor, the Hero of Time, although unlike the Hero himself Link planned on choosing his sidekick rather than being assigned to one by fate.

But how could he go on an adventure with the four months of true freedom he had left?

Or was it protecting the kingdom? To lead Hyrule into an age of success and riches. Just like his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather, and all his ancestors, he would fulfill his duty as king like he was expected to. His name would be in the textbooks, taught to students years from now, as the greatese ruler Hyrule has ever had. Maybe even conquer Gerudion to make it the sixth province of Hyrule! And he would choose his queen, not be assigned to one by some silly childhood promise and his family's honor his mother had to protect. That was the only reason why Queen Marin had consented to Ilia's wish. It would make the family look bad if she refused. And perhaps his dream wife would allow him to adventure throughout Hyrule.

But Din knows Ilia would never let him out of her sight.

Why did he have to have the life he lead? Why did he have to live a life of responsibility and honor? Why couldn't he decide on his own life decisions? Why did the life as a royal had to be so hard?

Link knew the story of how his parents met. His mother, a princess, locked in her room by accident during an attack on the castle. The tower she was in slowly burning, the flames licking slowly licking the rooms and staircases below her. She screamed for help, but who would hear her over the cries of despair from her people? A louder scream droned her out, the scream over her brother, who was brutally murdered by no other than King Ganon. Suddenly, a flash of hope. Captain Alfon of the Royal Guard, came barging into her room, knocking down the door in the process. Grabbed her wrist, whispering words of comfort to the crying princess. When she grew tired, he carried her, all the way to the safety of the…_sewers?_ Well, that's how the story goes; they hid there for several days, sharing their life stories, ignoring bloody water draining into the sewage systems, realizing their feelings for one another. A classic love story it was, almost straight out of the book, when his father was accused of kidnapping the princess, Marin threatened to take her life if the executed him. Luckily, Alfon was able to court her, and they got married, had a single child, Link, and continued on their merry lives…

_Why couldn't Link live a life like that?_

Suddenly, Link heard singing. It was faint, quiet, but calm and soothing. Link stopped his emotional fit, embarrassed a bit. Who could be singing at this hour anyway? He was out in the training grounds, somewhat far from the palace, so it couldn't be anyone from the party.

Link listened carefully. The voice was coming from that direction. It could be an intruder. Why an intruder would sing, Link had no idea. At this point Link was ready to consider anything. He took his sword, which was lying on the ground, just in case. Shield? Nah. Warily, Link avoided the leaves to prevent and crunching, and stayed somewhat low. He started with slow, careful footsteps, but the closer he got, the faster he walked. Soon he was running, whipping past the trees and bushes. Nothing else mattered. A person with an emotional state of mind will often find something to hold on to, something to need, something to grasp to escape the plunges of depression. He soon found himself at the garden's fountain. There he slowed himself down, until he came to a complete stop.

A single figure sat beside it, twirling their fingers in the cool water. The voice was much easier to hear, but still had that soft and gentle tone. Link ducked behind a large tree, easing his grip on his sword.

_Go to sleep,  
Rest upon your bed,  
May this night bring dreams to your head_

Hear my voice,  
Never let it die,  
Keep this lullaby

Soon the sun shall set on,  
Long it will be till dawn,  
Never from you will I be gone

Carry on,  
Rid this world of fear,  
Now the time is near,  
Peace will soon reign here...

_"Zelda's Lullaby" Lyrics by twilightstorm1994_

Link dropped his sword to the ground, not caring whether they heard him or not. He knew who it was, no doubt. Gently, Link stepped out.

"Zelda…"

Zelda jumped, clutching her necklace tightly. She was frozen in disbelief. She was sure no one would come follow her here; she had made her disappearance so subtle. And how did she not here them? Was she really that unfocused. But what shocked her most was who found her. Anyone else but him.

Link pointed his finger at her. "You… you can talk…not only that…you can sing…" Link said slowly, breathlessly, as if every word took a strenuous amount of effort. Zelda's eyes spoke of true terror, fear, like a field mouse under the glare of a snake. Zelda started to mouth something, but no words came out. "Zelda…" Link whispered, letting her name roll of the tip of his tongue, "That was beautiful."

A sudden scream erupted from the castle. Zelda's eyes instantly became alert, and she clenched her fists slightly. "What was that?" Link asked nervously. The clash of metal soon followed. "A raid." Zelda replied slowly, "We're under attack."

Link reached for his sword once more, locking his gaze on the palace's windows. "What do we do?" he whispered. "Whatever you wish Master. We could go in and try to save as many citizens as possible, or stay out here and wait it out." She answered monotonously.

Link grinned. "I dunno, I kinda like the first option better. Seems a lot less _boring_." Zelda's face turned to shock. "A-Are you sure Master? We aren't well equipped and whoever's out there, there's a lot more of them than us. Link removed his crown and tossed it into the glass. "Remember? Prince of Hyrule speaking? We got the Royal Guard. They'll listen to me." Zelda held her finger to her mouth. "That's true…but we would have to find them first… and…"

"Please Zelda?"

"I'm not restricting you, just laying out the odds."

"Okay, you stay here, and…"

"Wait!"

"What?"

"I…I have to come with you!"

"I can't let you get hurt."

"I can't leave you alone in there. It's dangerous. "

"But-"

"I am here to serve you. This includes staying by your side at all times."

"…okay. But you need to be armed as well."

"Don't worry about me. I've been trained in the martial arts."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Come on, we need to get moving."

A loud shout came from the distance. "Oy! There's some civilians over there!"

Another voice answered. "Ah, you're right! Get em'!"

The two figures came charging over. "Get ready!" Zelda shouted.

Link gripped the handle of his sword tighter. When the two men were in close range, Link sprang forward, slashing at the man's neck. The man lazily blocked it with his kora sword. The curved, almost square end of the blade curled around Link's simple training sword. One twitch and the cheap blade would snap in two. Link jumped back, freeing his sword. "Retreating already?" the man smirked. "Oh wait, aren't you the prince? No wonder you can't fight." Link's eyes widened. Shoot. "Hey, isn't that the one the boss wanted?" his partner asked, the one that was fighting Zelda. "Shut up, your battle's with me!" Zelda yelled. She charged at her opponent, armed with a dagger the size of one's forearm, Din knows where she got that from.

Before the man had time to react, Zelda had taken a huge slash at his arm. The man grimaced. "Fuck you ya' little slut!" he shouted at her. "You take that back!" Link yelled, about to step forward. Zelda looked up at Link. "Look out!" she screamed. Link turned around just in time to see his enemy's blade come crashing down.

_Clash!_ Zelda threw herself in front of the blade. With her small dagger and petite frame, Zelda looked like she would collapse from the weight. But she didn't. With a small yell Zelda deflected the guy with the kona. "Link! You take the other one, I'll get this one!" Zelda commanded. She pressed her back to Link's so they could protect each other's blind spots. Link nodded and faced Zelda's former adversary, who had a kusarigama, a sickle and a mace connected with a long metal chain. He twirled the mace into a circle menacingly. Link gulped. During his training, Link had only sparred with swordsmen, not these foreign weapons. He didn't even have a shield! The guy with the kusarigama raised the sickle end above his head and threw it at Link. Link instinctively brought his sword up, then grabbed the falling sickle with his free hand. All within a few seconds, Link yanked forward, bringing the warrior toward him. He then sliced his sword through the man's chest, letting him fall to the ground with a thud. Link smiled triumphantly.

Link turned around and saw Zelda's opponent fall to the ground as well. The Sheikah warrior was now rummaging through the corpse's clothing, which, Link noted, only had a small bloody hole near the heart. Link glanced over at his corpse, all messy and gross. Whoops. Link wiped the blood off his sword in the grass and did the same with Zelda's knife. Zelda looked up at Link. "So, are you bored anymore?" she smiled, then narrowed her eyes and threw an unidentified object at something behind him, it was flying so fast Link couldn't see it. "What?" Link asked, readying his stance and whirling around. A small needle had buried itself inside the man's neck. "What happened?" Link was confused. "He wasn't dead yet." Zelda said casually. She walked over and pulled the needle out of his neck with a simple tug. Zelda stood up again, brushing the dirt off her skirt.

It was then that Link noticed the small cut under Zelda's eye. "Zelda…" he breathed, placing his hand over her cheek, rubbing the blood from the cut with his thumb. Zelda's cheek turned warmer. "When did you get this?" he asked, concerned. Zelda paused before answering. "When I blocked the one with the kona sword. The tip of it brushed my cheek." Zelda smiled sadly. "It's just a scratch."

"No," Link said, pushing on her shoulders gently so she sat on the grass with him. "It could've had poison. We need to get you something, fast. Do you feel weak or anything?" "No! I'm…I'm fine." Link walked over to the kona. A dark purple liquid coated the very tip, almost impossible to notice easily. "Zelda, there's poison on this blade!" Zelda crawled over. "It's fine, but are you okay?" She brushed the dirt of Link's arms and shoulders, but Link took her hand. "Zelda, stop. We need to get you help, fast." He placed his arm around her to support her, then moved her arm over his shoulders. "I-I can walk on my own, but are you hurt in any way-" "I'm fine." Link interjected. "We need to get you somewhere safe."

"Fine, but let me walk on my own." Zelda said stubbornly. Link sighed, then let Zelda go. They walked for a couple minutes before Zelda began to stumble. "See?" Link grabbed hold of Zelda before she toppled over. "I'll only slow you down." she warned. "Pffft. That's the last thing I could care about now." The two teenagers made it all the way to the castle. By that time, Zelda fought to keep her eyes open. Link silently opened the doors. Fighting could be heard, but farther away. He led Zelda into the kitchen and sat her down on the counter. "Oh Farore Zelda…if I had known you would've gotten hurt like this…I would've never said we should go in." He fumbled through the cabinets, pulling out a bottle full of a red liquid. "Here. It should help with any injuries you have too. Drink up." Zelda took the bottle, eying Link suspiciously. She held the tip of the bottle to her mouth, then slowly tipped the drink into her mouth.

"Mmph!" Zelda covered her mouth, trying not to spit up the potion. It was fizzy and had a bitter citrus taste. She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed the fluid in one shot. Zelda gasped for air and started coughing. Link gently patted her on the back until she stopped. "…thank you…" Zelda whispered. She took another deep breath. "Anything for you Zelda." Link replied.

Zelda's eyes narrowed slightly. "Shouldn't you be looking for you fiancée?" Link grimaced. _So even she knows_. "Yeah…I guess so." Zelda hopped off the counter. She took a few test steps, then twirled around to see if she got dizzy.

"Throw something at me." she said.

"What?"

"Just do it."

Link grabbed the closest thing to him, a cutting board, and hurled it at Zelda. Zelda instantly whipped out her knife and blocked it. She smirked. "Reflex test." Link nodded. They walked over to the door. Zelda held her ear to it, then carefully opened the door. Link stood behind her in his battle stance, ready to attack at any given moment. Outside the kitchen, a pig-like monster was waiting for them, back to them. "What is that?" Link hissed, to which Zelda whipped her forefinger to her mouth, signaling him to stay quiet. Quietly, Zelda removed a needle from her pouch, this one much longer than the one she used on the man. She squinted her eyes, then flicked her wrist. The only sound to be heard was the sound of metal cutting through the air and the thud of the monster falling to the ground.

"Bulblins." Zelda spat as she walked up to it. Link pinched his nose in disgust with the smell of them up close. But his jaw dropped open when he saw the corpse disintegrate into tiny black ashes that were carried off by the wind. "Are the supposed to do that?" Link questioned. "Yeah. It's from a spell. If the subject dies, the body will burn up so no one can misuse it. It requires a high level of magic though."

"I see." was Link's reply.

There weren't many monsters posted, most seemed to be fighting in the ballroom. Link and Zelda were able to easily navigate the halls.

"Zelda, when did you learn how to fight like that?"

"…"

"Zelda?"

"Hm? Let's just say my brother taught me when I was younger."

"You have a brother?"

"Yeah…"

Link could tell Zelda didn't really want to talk about it. And they wouldn't have any time to either.

"That sounded like Miss Ilia!" Zelda strained her ears to listen for the girlish scream.

"Let's go!"

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**Hey so whataya think of my fight scene? Please tell me how I did because I was a little confused about that part. Zelda is so oblivious to the fact that Ilia hates her. It's so much fun making Zelda talk though, she has a sort of no-nonsense, reserved personality. (but not for long!) Oh, and I know red potion is supposed to heal you so I guess that it can cure poisoning too. Again, credits to twilightstorm1994 for this version of the lyrics from Zelda's lullaby! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yeah, I had a bit of trouble writing this one, in terms of pacing it out and stuff. Sorry for the late update, I've been working on my Youtube story, My Warrior Princess. Huh, seems I said the same thing in my description of the video... Anyways enjoy. Fanfiction won't let me indent T-T**

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As they were searching for Ilia, Link couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for killing the people earlier.

"Zelda," Link said in between pants, "Do you feel guilty about killing those people earlier?" Zelda didn't stop running, but answered back "Not really. They came at us, so it's not like they didn't ask for it."

That wasn't exactly the answer Link was looking for. "Well, you know, we could've just hurt them badly and left them in the grass, then we could've come back for them later with help." he told her. Zelda just shrugged. "They could've gotten help themselves to come back at _us_." she retorted.

"But still," Link argued, "Maybe they were fighting against us for a reason. Maybe they needed money for their family and had no choice. But now what will happen to that family? I bet they're all alone now, with no one to support them, and…" Link noticed Zelda had stopped. Her hands were clenched into tight fists. She flipped her hair and turned to Link. "One's first kill is always the hardest. Just try not to think about it."

Zelda closed her eyes. She looked like she was focusing her energy, so Link didn't interrupt her. In a few seconds, Zelda's eyes whipped open, now a bright red color. She glanced around the halls, seeing through the thick stone walls. _Nothing here, nothing there. Where is she? _Link watched her silently. The luminous red eyes pierced through the darkness, eerie and emotionless. "This way," Zelda said after locating the source of the screams. "There's more enemies up ahead, so be prepared."

In a few short seconds, Link and Zelda had eliminated the monsters posted as guards and made it to the hallway that led to the doors to the ballroom. Link inhaled, then wrinkling his nose. What was that smell, almost like, _iron? _Zelda stuck her arm out, blocking his path. "Wait." she said, scanning the doorway with her Sheikah eyes. "I can see Miss Ilia clearly now. But we have to walk past the ballroom first." she paused and glanced up at Link, eyes full of worry. "Master, there's something up ahead…that you may not want to see. Keep your eyes closed and you'll be fine. We'll be past it in no time; I'll tell you when…" "Wait, whoa whoa whoa," Link was now concerned. "I'll be fine, don't worry…" Link reached for the handle, but Zelda threw herself in front of the door. "No, don't!" she pleaded, "Just do it, okay? Please, trust me, I'll guide you throughout the hall so you don't fall over, but I need you to keep your eyes shut."

"Zelda, I know whatever's in there, it has to do with my kingdom. I have the right to know." Link answered steadily. He reached out again, but Zelda grabbed his hand instead. She looked up at him, a look of desperation, almost sympathy, on her face. Link scanned her face, checking for any other signs of feelings. Pain, experience, worry. Link sighed. "Okay. I won't look." Relief flooded Zelda's face. "Ready?" she asked, hand on the doorknob. Zelda held out her hand. Link paused, then slid his hand into hers. Link shut his eyes, completely unsure of what would happen next.

Now, Link couldn't see anything. He heard the doors creak open, then felt his arm being tugged inside. His feet obediently followed. The previous smell of iron filled his lungs. Link coughed several times, trying not to open his eyes while doing so. "Master, are you okay?" he heard Zelda ask. "Yeah, I'm fine." he called back. Link felt himself being led in an irregular pattern, the path twisted and switched, sometimes they completely turned around. When he walked around, at certain points there was a weird sloshing noise, sometimes the clank of metal or a light _thud_. What could've possibly happened to this room? "Almost there," Zelda reassured him. Link nodded. Suddenly, Link felt his foot hit something, then his body falling forward. His eyes flew open and held his hands out instinctively to block his fall. The first thing he saw was red. "No!" Zelda cried out. Link whipped his head, absorbing his surroundings. It wasn't red, but blood. Everywhere. Dead bodies and broken armor, burnt tapestries and dislocated limbs. Link stared, mouth agape in horror. All Hylian soldiers, people he used to see patrolling the palace grounds, people he used to prank as a child, now dead. The thing he tripped over was a dead body. Link's eyes widened, and before Zelda could stop him, Link threw open the doors to the ballroom.

* * *

Link took a few steps into the large room before leaning over and vomiting. What he saw here was ten times worse than what he saw in the hallway. To think that there was a party here, only a few hours ago. The army must've swept past the unarmed guests, most of them important nobles and officials, gone. Zelda came in quietly; letting Link cry as he did. Would this have happened if he hadn't run off?

"It's my fault…" Link sputtered in between sobs. "Those people we fought, they said they were looking for me…if I had stayed…they would've just taken me and left…" Zelda sighed. "Don't think like that. If you had stayed they would've tried to move you to safety anyway. There's nothing that you could've done differently that could've changed the outcome of these events, all you can do is try to make sure their sacrifices didn't go to waste." Link looked up. "All these innocent lives would've been saved if I hadn't run away." Zelda shook her head. "They died knowing you were safe somewhere else. These people dedicate their lives to you, and they would've given up anything they had at any time if it meant keeping you alive."

Link wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Right… let's keep going." "Are you alright now?" Zelda asked calmly. Link nodded, sniffling a bit. "Okay, let's go." Zelda started to walk ahead, but Link stopped her. "Wait, can I just look for someone?" Zelda looked as if she was about to say no, but then she complied. "Can you use your Sheikah eyes? Grey hair in a Mohawk, tall, old?"

Zelda nodded, then searched around the room. She jogged over to one particular spot, then knelt down and beckoned Link over. Link ran over, trying not to trip over the dead. "Captain Auru!" Link gasped. He fell to his knees, watching the man he met only hours ago die slowly. "Prince Link… is that you?" Auru whispered. "Yeah, it's me, don't worry, you're going to make it, okay? Hang in there, Zelda, do you have the potion?" Link whispered back. Zelda held the half-empty bottle of the red potion to the man's lips. He drank it gratefully, taking it in with one swing. Link watched as Zelda gently wiped the captain's mouth with her sleeve, moving bloody hair out of his face, then wiping down his wounds with a spare cloth she had on her. Auru now noticed the girl kneeling beside the worried prince, tending to his injuries. "Is… is this your fiancée? My, what a lovely young lady…" Auru chuckled to himself. Zelda blushed furiously, but continued fixing the old man up. Link blushed as well, not just because of his comment but because of what he would have to give as his answer. "No, she's just, my servant." Auru's eyes widened, but he collected himself quickly and laughed again. "Oh, terribly sorry miss! I hadn't realized! I thought you were Miss Ilia…" He tried to lift himself up, noticing this, Zelda helped him into a sitting position.

_She knows healing as well as combat, _Link mused. Zelda brushed the remaining dirt off the captain's shirt and leaned back. "Ah, alright, I feel better already. Thanks for helping me out there your Highness, I would've been dead had you not come along. Oh, and thank you miss…"

"Zelda." Link corrected him. "Thank you Miss Zelda," Auru gave her a small bow. Zelda ducked her head shyly, but both men knew she was smiling. "We're searching for Ilia right now actually," Link informed Auru, who nodded in understanding. "She's over in the throne room, with two other people, according to Zelda-" "But she could change positions at any moment, right?" Auru pointed out. Link and Zelda contemplated that. "Huh, that's true. Guess we didn't really consider that, did we?" Link scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Um, if you don't mind, could we discuss this in another spot? I kinda don't like the smell of death." he admitted. Zelda looked past the doors, then carefully led the two others into a small closet in the hallway where they could discuss their plans without any unwanted attention. It was actually quite large, almost the size of a small shed. A storage room was a better term for it.

Once safe inside, Zelda continued observing their surroundings while the two men talked. "The best thing to do would be to get some more support," Auru stated, "But with most of the army posted in the castle dead, it might get kind of difficult. Not only that, but noisy armor isn't the best for stealth, which is what we need."

"Did someone say stealth? Well well, why didn't you say so in the first place…" a voice purred tauntingly. Auru and Link stood up immediately. "Who's there?" Link demanded, readying his sword. "Ah, well that's no way to welcome guests. Relax your Highness, I've been serving your family longer than you have lived." it replied cunningly. Link knotted his brow in frustration. "Well then, where are you?" It was then that Link noticed Zelda was staring at one spot, arms crossed across her chest, tapping her foot. At once, a grown woman stepped out of the shadowy wall, a smug look on her face. Auru's eyes grew large, but he still seemed cool and collected. "If it isn't the rejected Sheikah, when was the last time I saw you?" Impa laughed, playing along with his little joke. "You haven't aged a bit, _Captain Auru_."

"Nor have you, _Mistress Impa_…" Auru smirked. Link and Zelda just stood there, letting the two have their, _reunion_. These two had met before? And what was there past that made them act like old rivals? Link lowered his sword and Zelda started playing with her fingers, poking her index fingers together. "So, Prince Link, I'm sure wondering as to who I am…" Impa said formally, bowing slightly. Auru rolled his eyes. "There we go, acting so full of herself already…" he muttered under his breath. Impa shot him a glare, but when she turned to Link, her crimson eyes were gentle and kind. "I am Impa, guardian of the Royal Family for 20 years. I work undercover, often acting without the King and Queen knowing, due to the fact that my job is to be done in secret, without anyone finding out. If they did, there would be chaos every time an intruder or assassin came in, which isn't uncommon." Link stared at her. People were sent to kill him and his parents? What was going on?

"And Zelda, I believe we've met before, no?" Zelda nodded, pleased to see her fellow Sheikah once more. Impa smiled. "Still as quiet as ever?" Link laughed uncertainly. "She's been doing better…" Link met Zelda's eyes briefly, before Zelda turned to stare at the floor. "But, if you were hired to protect the Royal Family," Link looked up at Impa, "Why didn't you stop the attack before it happened?" Impa frowned. "There were too many of them. I can't even tell where they're from, all of them wear black capes, or they're monsters, in which case it's nearly impossible to tell where they're from because their bodies disintegrate after killing them." Link remembered when the bulblins turned to ashes. "I ran toward your parents, trying to warn them without anyone seeing me, but they were drunk, and wouldn't listen to me. However, after the first hoard on monsters invaded, they came to me, panting. _'Please, Impa, find my son, get him to safety, tell him that we love him, in case we don't see him again…'_ So I went to find you, although I can tell you it was quite difficult seeing how you two kept moving around so much."

Link thought long and hard about what Impa had said. "Where are my parents now?" he said slowly. "Don't worry, we put them in a carriage and sent them off to Kakariko, they'll be safe there. And that's where you have to go now. But that won't happen, right? Not without your precious fiancée." she teased. Link's face reddened, he gritted his teeth and turned his head away from her. Truth was, Link wanted Ilia to come out safely, but he knew her reaction if he was to come and save her. He still had to tell her… that he didn't love her the way she did.

"Anyway," Auru interrupted, "Our plan to rescue Miss Ilia is to ambush them. Zelda and I will distract them, while Link rushes in to help Miss Ilia. Then Link will break through the window and run to the stables, where his carriage is. But now, we have Impa, so you can distract them with me, while Zelda follows Link, Din forbid one of them targets him. It's a two story fall, but there are bushes and the moat below on that specific side of the castle. It's your choice." Link gulped. Ever since the incident at the lake, he's been nervous about anything regarding swimming. Ilia and Zelda would be able to hold themselves up, but he wouldn't. He could fall into the bushes, but wasn't that a bit, dangerous? Lake or bushes? Drowning or bleeding to death?

Zelda nodded in understanding. Impa crossed her arms across her chest and smirked. "Count me in. After all, since this plan was developed by you," she poked Auru's chest with her forefinger, "Things won't go exactly the way they were planned." Auru glared at her. "Prince Link, do you agree?" Link sighed. "I guess so."

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**I don't know about you, but I love depicting Impa as fresh, loud-mouthed, and somewhat self-conceited, yet at the same time extremely loyal and devoted towards Hyrule. It's OOC, especially for Impa, but I love it. Didn't expect to see Auru I bet? Here's a tip for you readers: I never put a character in just because I feel like it. Every character will appear for a reason and is generally somewhat involved in the main plot, although how important they actually are to the story line varies. **

**While you're waiting for my next chapter (or just waiting for Zelink to happen, yeah I know that's what you're really reading this for :P), check out my best friend puzzlefreak333's profile. She writes for Naruto and her stories are really good. Tell her I sent you with a review (hint hint). And if you're reading this puzzlefreak333, hi I bet you're right about to PM me about this and no I won't take it down ;) And if you readers are about to review telling me to stop forcing you to read other people's stories, no one said you had to. And if you are one of those people who did listen to me, you get a virtual cookie. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I had my story, but then I had to rewrite it when my computer turned on me. Also I've been busy working on the cast for my Seven Deadly Sins series (See chapter 3 or my profile for details). Sorry for the inconvenience. Anyways enjoy!**

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_How did I get talked into this?_

Link fumbled with the ropes tied around Ilia, trying his best to unknot them. When the four of them had found the room Ilia was in, they had barged in, as planned, and started their operation almost immediately. Impa and Auru were behind him, fighting the three Darknuts. Armor flew hazardly around the room, and occasionally the mysterious knights would let out a groan of pain when slashed. Impa had her own weapons, basically a couple of kunai knives, but surprisingly she was able to remove off all the armor from one Darknut, and even knocked away the thin metal sword the Darknut's larger blade was replaced with. She was a very talented fighter, and must've had experience with these sort of enemies, although how she got that experience Link had no idea. Now the two were fighting using hand-to-hand combat, which was clearly Impa's forte. Auru, on the other hand, didn't have any weapons on him at the time of ambush, so he mostly dodged the Darknuts attacks, trying to tire it out, while receiving a few smart remarks from Impa. Eventually though, when Impa had knocked away the thin sword, he had quickly snatched it up and displayed his true talent in swordsmanship. He had defeated the Darknut in half the time it took Impa to knock the armor and sword off, and began facing the third one.

Link and Zelda quietly made their way to the back of the room, where several bulblins were tying Ilia up to a wooden post. They had quickly killed most of them, but some of them had fled to Farore-knows-where, which Zelda pointed up could lead to trouble if they came back with their leader. Ilia herself had obviously fainted, her head hung loosely from her neck, yet her face had a look of desperation on it. Her dress was torn around her waist and was slit down her shoulders, and the hem of it was ripped to her knees. Blood was splattered on her face, arms, hands, and legs. Somehow, she looked peaceful, as if she were waiting for him to save her.

A clash of weapons distracted Link from his thoughts. He looked up and saw Zelda, fighting the armor-less Darknut. Apparently he had lost interest in Impa's battle, because Impa was now fighting the third Darknut along with Auru. Zelda was eying him like a hawk as he circled around her. Wherever he went, Zelda stayed directly in front of him. At first, Link was confused. Why didn't she circle around him, then try to attack him from behind? But then, he realized what Zelda was doing. She was staying directly in front of the Darknut so he couldn't reach him. If she tried to attack the Darknut, he was much more agile than before and could dodge and get to Ilia and himself. Zelda's teeth were gritted, and from the look of her face, Link knew she was determined to protect him, whatever it takes. Her dress's border was tattered and frayed, and her legs had various cuts and bruises, although her boots protected most of her lower limbs from taking damage. The edges of her sleeves were stained red from when she was taking care of Auru, and her hands and nails were caked with blood and dirt, but Zelda didn't seem to care. The young Sheikah's straight, yellow blond hair was now tangled and strewn across her shoulders. Her bangs were tipped with blood, matching her eyes full of fury. The scratch just below her eye was still there. Zelda was like the warrior, while Ilia was more the damsel-in-distress. Then what was he?

The sound of chainmail hitting the floor shook Link out of his daze. The Darknut lied still, then burst into ashes. Zelda stood there, panting in her defensive stance. Then she kneeled down, gently nudging Link to the side. She then took her knife and hooked in under the blanket of thick ropes, then began to slice through them like nothing. _Right. Why didn't I think of that?_ Link thought shamefully as he stared at his sword, which would've done the job in a quarter the time it took Zelda. Ilia fell limp, and Link caught her in his arms. Zelda stood up and walked over toward the stain glass window, the same one Link was staring out of when he first met King Ganon face-to-face. Link felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. Zelda balled up her fist and smashed through the window, pieces of color shattering everywhere, revealing the beautiful landscape at night behind it.

Strange as it was, the window reminded him of Zelda. Stain glass only looks beautiful when the sun shines through it, but when there is no light the dark stains only add to the dreariness of the room. Just like Zelda, someone could flaunt around her Sheikah abilities and descent and how she could take pain without crying out loud, but when alone, she is sad, lonely, and reserved. However, if one takes the time to open a stain glass window, and if one takes the time to know Zelda, they can see the beauty behind a dark and appearance.

Zelda motioned for Link to follow. Link walked over, then took a step back. The drop looked even longer from up here. Zelda rested a hand on his arm., sensing his fear. "You can do it Master. You can't let Miss Impa and Captain Auru down." Link shut his eyes and laid Ilia down on the floor for a minute. He took a few deep breaths, and approached the open window again, before backing away again. It was just too much for him.

"I can't…."

"You can."

"No! I'll die, I'd rather stay here and defend the castle like everyone else, so if I die it'll be with good reason."

"Please, we need to go now, before more monsters appear!"

"Isn't there any other way?"

"Any other route would take too long."

"Couldn't you at least be down there to catch me?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. Link stared out the window again, when he felt himself being shoved foward.

"Shit!" Link yelled as the ground approached him at rapid speed. Zelda gasped at what she had done, then grabbed Ilia quickly and jumped out as well. With the combined weight of both her and the queen-to-be, she was able to catch up with Link in no time. Zelda looped her arm around Link's waist, then landed on one foot. Before her entire body weight pressed down upon that one foot, Zelda pushed off, springing into the air. "Keep your body straight!" Zelda shouted, and he obeyed in the split second he had to do so. The trio then landed soundlessly into the water.

Zelda was the first to submerge, taking the unconscious Ilia with her. Her light brown hair was all over her face, so Zelda brushed it out of the way. Then she lifted Ilia onto the shore, propping her up against a nearby tree. It then occurred to Zelda that Link was nowhere to be found. Worried, Zelda stepped into the river again. "Master?" Zelda called out. A mop of blonde hair emerged from the surface. Link shot upwards, gasping for air. "What was that?" he snapped, whirling to face Zelda. Zelda shrugged. "A push?" Link glared at her. "I would've jumped on my own you know! I could've died! Ever since I almost drowned at the lake, I've been scared to death of water. And now this?"

"We needed to go right then. If you had taken any longer, it wouldn't have been me pushing you." Zelda argued, turned away from him. "What's that supposed to mean?" Link shot back. "Oh…" Link let out a long breath. It wouldn't have been Zelda, but maybe a monster or something. "Sorry…" Zelda mumbled. Link glanced in her direction. "What?" "I said I'm sorry!" Zelda repeated, turning halfway around. Her cheeks were a deep pink color, voice a pitch higher. Link walked over to Zelda and poked her forehead. "Getting a bit flustered there?" he teased. Zelda crossed her arms across her chest. "Hmph! 'Sorry' isn't something I say often, let's put it that way. Next time don't make me repeat myself." Link smiled, knowing they were both okay now. "How deep is this river anyway?" Link stared at the river bottom. "About 10 feet deep." Zelda answered, now wringing out her hair on dry land. Link shook his hair like a dog, spraying water everywhere. Zelda raised her hands up in defense, though it did little to block the raging droplets. Link then shook out his boots of any excess water. When he looked back at Zelda, he noticed she was staring at the ground. "Um…I thought you couldn't swim…" Zelda asked shyly. "I don't. I guess what I rely on is pure instinct, and that lets me stay afloat for a limited amount of time." "Then… what happened when you were in the lake?"

"I'm not really sure. I guess the actual feeling of drowning kind of blocks out all of your senses and rational thinking. The only thing you can think of is getting to the surface, but this is where people start to die, because people tend to swim upwards in a very frantic matter, which only brings them back further. I did the same thing, but luckily I realized that my struggling wasn't helping, and I was able to stay conscious until we got to the castle."

"Oh." Zelda breathed, not sure of what to stay next. "Well, we should get going." she said hurriedly. _Idiot! He just told you about what it's like to be on the brink of death, and that's all you have to say? _"Right…" Link said quietly. What just happened?

"Where did Auru say we had to go to meet out carriage?" Link knew the answer, but wanted to break the silence. "The stables." An flaming arrow flew through the air, aiming straight for Zelda. Closing her eyes, she lifted her hand to catch it just before it hit her. When she reopened her eyes, they were red. Link sucked in his breath and whirled around. Off in the distance, more of the monsters Zelda had called bulblins were heading towards them, most armed with a club of some sort. "Take Ilia with you." Zelda said, staring down at the monstrous army. "I'll cover you."

Link nodded, then picked up Ilia and held her bridal style. _Huh. Coincidence much?_ "Just keep running for the stables. Don't stop for anything, especially me." Zelda knew Link would if she got hurt, and Link knew it too. He was just too kindhearted and soft. "Go!" Zelda hissed as she readied her needles. Link dashed forward at full speed, shocked at how fast he could run while carrying someone. _Must've been that adrenaline thing Teacher Shad was talking about._ Zelda ran alongside him, knocking away any arrows with her knife or her needles. A particular arrow was aimed for Link's left side, while Zelda was positioned at his right. Zelda saw this, and jumped over Link's head, spinning several times for momentum, and landed in time to knock away the arrow. "Nice flip." Link smirked at her, and Zelda smirked back. "I could've made it better if you weren't running so damn fast." Link laughed, as he too was enjoying the rush of wind against his face. "Well excuse me for trying to save our lives!"

"Ha! You know I'm perfectly capable of saving myself!" Zelda shouted back mockingly while knocking back a particularly large arrow. Link nudged her with his hip. "Don't worry, one day, I'll be the one saving you." Zelda stared at him, taken aback by his words. "G-Good! You'd better!" she stammered. _Maybe you've already paid your debt. _

"Almost there Zelda!" Link shouted, disrupting Zelda from her thoughts. Zelda looked where he was pointing. Sure enough, the wooden stable was in sight. _Wait, wooden?_ "Link!" she stopped, catching herself. "I mean…" "It's okay!" Link yelled. "You can just call me that!" "Okay! If one of the flaming arrows hits the stable, it'll burn down!" Link inwardly cursed, he knew she was right. "What do we do?" Link asked, ducking to avoid another arrow, which Zelda easily blocked. "I think…" she stated, contemplating her plan. "I think…that we're going to have to kill every single one of these guys…" Zelda answered, then taking out five needles and throwing them into the soulless hearts of the monsters, killing them. "You're kidding…" Link whispered, gradually withdrawing his sword. "Where would Ilia go?"

As if on cue, Ilia stirred in her sleep. She squeezed her eyes tightly, then opened her eyes halfway. _Where… Where am I?_ Ilia's vision cleared. She was staring straight into the eyes of her lover, her fiancée, her savior. "Link…" she whispered, reaching up and touching his cheek, as if to make sure he was real. "You… you saved me…" Link jumped, surprised at the sudden voice. "Perfect! Zelda, Ilia's awake!" Ilia's eyes opened fully, no longer in her dream like state. "Miss Ilia! Are you okay? How are you feeling?" she heard someone else say. To anyone, the voice was kind, concerned, and grateful. But to Ilia, the voice was so sugary sweet, it was pretty much mocking her. Sarcasm and hatred hidden behind walls of an innocent appearance. What was _she _doing here?

"Link? What's going on?" Ilia asked suspiciously. Not detecting her hint of misgiving, the Hylian prince answered normally. "You got beat up pretty bad. Luckily, Zelda, Auru, Impa, and I came to rescue you." _Zelda had a part in this? And who were the other people he mentioned? _"We need you to hide in the stables while we kill off this army. If the stables catch on fire, then get out as soon as possible," Ilia felt like rolling her eyes at the blond-haired Sheikah. As if she didn't know to run if there was a fire. "But that shouldn't happen, because they'll have their attention towards Link, so don't worry." Zelda finished. Ilia stared at her one-sided rival. _They're not the only ones. As of right now, the monsters are the least of my problems if it means you're going with be with Link while I'm tossed aside. I won't let you win. _

Ilia needed to come up with something, fast. "I-I can't let you guys go alone! Th-That wouldn't be fair, r-right?" Ilia stuttered, struggling with her words. Zelda and Link turned to Ilia at the same time. "Ilia, please. We need you to be somewhere safe while we go out there. It would be bad if you got hurt." Link answered calmly. Ilia looked up at him. _He wants me to be safe. He wants to come back to me. It would be bad if I got hurt._ "Okay…" Ilia walked inside the stables, a huge smile plastered to her face. Link smiled back.

_Also, you can't fight._

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**It's amazing what people might not say, but think behind your back. My relatives are over for the week so that's another reason why I haven't been updating often. My 3-year old cousin is so kawaiiiiii 3**

**Who's a better Luka, Samus or Maria from Fire Emblem? Don't ask, just answer ^w^**

**Thanks for reading! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Long chapter here. I started working on this, and then I couldn't stop. Oh, and for those of you who are telling me to make Ilia die, explode, be decapitated, etc, don't worry. I just need to keep her long enough to fulfill my plans...*COUGH COUGH* I mean _ideas_ for her.**

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"How are we going to do this?" Link asked as both teenagers surveyed the landscape.

"I'm not sure. There's too many of them for us to split up, that would just be rash. Even if most of their attacks are within melee range we don't want to risk anything at this point. It's better if both of us have another set of eyes to watch our backs anyway. But if we're together, it'll make it easier for them to corner us…" Zelda held a finger to her lip as she thought.

"Wait! Epona!" Link jumped up excitedly. If they rode on Epona, then they could just plow right through the monsters without worrying about being cornered and stuff. They would also have the height advantage, allowing them to have more of a view. "Hold, on, I'll go get her!"

Link barged into the stable. "Link?" Ilia tilted her head curiously.

"Gonna get Epona!" he replied back, already unhooking the latch on Epona's door.

Ilia's face turned serious. "Be careful with her. She's a girl horse you know…"

Link reached for the thick pad used for cushioning the saddle. Most knights and carriage riders forgot this part, but Link always remembered because it was for Epona's comfort. Having a hard leather saddle digging into your back must hurt, so by placing the padding first, the cloth would mold into the shape of Epona's back on one side and the saddle on the other. The pad itself stretched from the bottom of her neck almost until the end of her back. "I know, I kno…" Link replied, sounding like a young boy being lectured by his mother. He then threw on a circular brown blanket to keep the saddle leveled. Epona neighed happily. Link hadn't taken her riding in a while, so this was treat to her.

Link smiled sadly. "Yes, I know you're excited to go out riding again," he said sadly, "But this won't be a pleasure ride, I can tell you that right now Epona." Link turned to Ilia. "I just hope she can hold up two people. She's a tough horse, but…"

As if sensing the doubt her master had in her, Epona nudged Link on his lower back with her nose. "Whoa!" Link stumbled forward a bit while Epona whinnied impatiently. "Alright, alright, I trust you." Link finished strapping on Epona's saddle. The seat was a light beige color with a darker brown tinting the edges. The rimming of it was a royal blue with white gold embroidery and a large Triforce in the middle. When Link was about 12 years old, he had received the saddle because it was "unseemly" for a prince to be seen riding around bareback. At first, Link didn't want to, who was going to see him with the palace's huge walls anyway? But when he received the saddle, he agreed to switch his riding style because the saddle seemed so cool, much to his parent's relief.

"We'll be back Ilia!" Link called out. He hopped onto the newly strapped saddle, feeling for her neck. It felt good to be back on Epona after all this time. Link patted Epona on the neck, and Epona trotted toward the door. It was a special bond the two of them shared, the ability to communicate through their minds, Epona could always tell where her master wanted her to go, and Link could always tell when Epona was tired or hungry. Ever since the day they met, Link knew that there was something different about her.

"_Really? You mean it?" a younger Link gasped._

"_Of course m'boy. It took some time convincing your mother, but she finally agreed to let you have your own horse." Alfon crouched down a bit, leaning into Link's ear. "You know how conscious she can be of our family's image." the king whispered. Link giggled. "But I thought horse riding was a skill that every man should know." King Alfon said, straightening up. "It'll come in handy one day. Come on now, we had the finest horses in all of Hyrule brought here so you'll have a variety to choose from. I didn't want to get a horse you didn't like."_

"_Father!" Link beamed at his father, who smiled down at his son proudly. "Didn't the Hero of Time have a horse? How did he get his horse?" _

"_Well, the Hero first met his horse as a child. The young boy had spent hours trudging across the vast Hyrule Field, and was quite weary. Numerous stalchildren appear at night you see, and despite the Hero slaying them more would inevitably appear to take the dead's place. And you know the drawbridge to Castle Town closes at night, so the Hero had nowhere to go! Suddenly, the young Hero came face to face with a large ranch. Without thinking, the Hero ran inside, eager to get away from the endless hoards of monsters. Upon walking inside, there was a large fenced pen, where various horses roamed. There was also the sound of singing. The Hero soon found the daughter of the ranch's owner, and quickly became friends. The girl then introduced the Hero to her favorite horse, who was shy at first, but after playing the song the girl was singing the horse and the Hero became friends forever. The end."_

_Link listened intently, taking in every word of his father's tale. "Wow… the Hero of Time can make friends with anyone! He even became friends with Skull Kid, right? Oh, tell me that story please!"_

_Link's father chuckled. "Not now son. It's time to pick out a horse!"_

_Link's jaw dropped when he saw all the different types of horses. There had to be at least twenty, all roaming about the outskirts of the castle grounds. A man, maybe in his late-thirties, stood by them. "Take a look at em' your Highnesses! These are the supreme horses on the ranch, whether it be for their beauty or strength or agility, you name it!" _

"_Thank you Ingo, for coming all the way out here for my son. I'd hate to trouble you and your brother for something as simple as this, but this is a very important decision, and I believe Lon Lon Ranch is the most trustworthy place to make it."_

"_Oh, it's no problem at all your Highness. Though it would've been easier if my lazy brother would've…." _

_Link wasn't paying attention to the two adults' conversation. He had zoned out and instead tried to look at all the different horses at once. Palomino, dark gray with white spots, white with brown blotches, brown with black legs and mane, every single color combination possible was there it seemed. _

"_Take a look son," his father said, bending down. "Any one you like."_

_Link took a long look around the pasture. There was so many, but Link didn't know which one to choose. _

"_Excuse me sir?" Link asked, tugging on the sleeve of the rancher Ingo, who was mumbling something incoherent under his breath. "I'm not sure one to pick. What should I look for?"_

_Ingo turned down to him. "Well, it depends on what you' want in a horse. Are you gonna use her for racing, a couple of strolls now and then… You also have to consider how often you're going to ride her, because if you don't ride her often you'll want a calmer, patient horse… but if…"_

"_Ooh look at that one!" Link had gotten distracted from Ingo's lecture, most to the rancher's dislike, by particular horse. Her coat was a bright chestnut-red color, which contrasted with her white mane, tail, and boots. Above her boots, the beginning of her tail, and the tips of her ears were tinted black. Despite her feminine appearance, the horse was rather well-built. Her eyes had a gentle, yet wild look in them. Without thinking, the young boy dashed over to the mare. _

"_T-That one? Are you sure your Highness?" Ingo asked. The King whipped his head towards him. _

"_Why? What's the difference with that one? Is something wrong with it?"_

"_That horse in particular is a rather jumpy one. Frightened at even the slightest of movement. Especially scared of people. She runs away from everyone except my niece. But that girl…she'll get along with anyone."_

_King Alfon glanced at his son worriedly. "Be careful Link!"_

_Link, not hearing his father's warning, went straight up to the horse. At the sight of the young boy, the mare eyed him suspiciously. When Link raised his hand to pet the horse, she bounded away at lightning speed. Link's eyes widened. "Whoa! She's fast!" Link chased after the horse. "Hey! Over here! I'm not going to hurt you!" _

"_Link! Don't chase her! Stay here!"_

_Link didn't listen. Stopping to catch his breath, he watched the horse keep a distance from him, but turning back to see what he was doing. "Hm…" Link thought. What would the Hero of Time do?_

_Link took in a deep breath. He whistled, high D. Epona's ears perked up. What was the next note? Link started over, high D, B… A! D B A, D B A, D B A, B A. Epona neighed happily and came running over. _

_Link smiled as the mare nearly knocked him over. "Whoa girl! Haha, it worked!" _

_Ingo and King Alfon stared in shock. "Never have I seen anyone tame a horse like Epona like that…"_

* * *

Link smiled lovingly at his horse. That was a day he would never forget. He and Epona went out the door.

Zelda stood waiting for him, though at the sight of the all-too-familiar horse she took a step back, now standing sideways.

"We'll be able to take them on a lot easier now!" Link said, already anticipating his first horseback battle.

Zelda's eyes widened. "R-Really now? So we can split up now? You'll be safe with Epona I'm sure…"

Link stared at her, dumb-founded. "No, you'll ride with me, right?"

"I think you two can handle it. She's…" Zelda paused, searching for the right word. "A _special _one."

"But like you said earlier," Link changed his tone, imitating Zelda's indifferent, serious voice. "'It's better if both of us have another set of eyes to watch our backs anyway.' That is what you said, no?"

Zelda hesitated, struggling for excuses. "Well, now the variables have changed, and the chances of either of us getting hurt are decreased."

"So my chances of getting hurt are decreased on horseback, but yours are decreased because you won't have to keep me around?" Link knew he had her right where he wanted her.

"N-No! That's not what I meant, what I mean is…"

"You're scared of Epona."

"Of course not."

"Then get on."

"We can cover more ground this way."

"Epona won't bite."

"She _has _before, need I remind you?"

"So you are scared of Epona."

"That's not what I said."

"That's what you meant."

"And how do you know?"

Link let out a long, exasperated sigh, then reached down and picked up Zelda by the waist, placing her behind him on the saddle so her back was facing his. "What the hell are you…Oh Din, Din, Din please help me."

Zelda looked down from where she was sitting. Her Sheikah necklace slipped out of her shirt. "Dear Farore, why must we be so high? Can I go down now please?" she whined. When Link didn't respond, she glanced behind her and saw Link looping his belt around her. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Link met her glare. "So you don't fall off."

Zelda narrowed her eyes, then threw up her hands dramatically. "I'll be damned if I do! I swear, if you don't get me off right now I'll…" Epona shifted her weight, startling Zelda and putting an end to her complaining.

Link finished the buckle. "You're riding with me. That's an order." he smirked at her astonished face.

"Oh sure, now you decide to give me orders! When I get off this horse I'm so gonna…"

Link nudged Epona with his foot. "Hiya!" he yelled, prompting Epona to stand up before galloping into the army of monsters. Zelda yelped and flipped around so she was facing Link, wrapping her arms around his waist for dear life.

As fun as it was to see the fearless warrior-maiden clinging to him like he was some sort of hero (the thought made him smile secretly), the reason he had Zelda ride with him was to protect him from and attacks from behind and take down any monsters he might've missed. Link told her his reasoning, and after reassuring the frightened girl that Epona wouldn't suddenly throw her off Zelda turned back around, ready to fight.

Link charged forward, swinging his sword at the bulblins crowding around Epona, all trying to take a swing at him. With all of them attempting at once, it made it much harder for them to hit them and harder for Epona to get through. The sound of clanging metal from behind that, as Link predicted, some of the monsters were trying to shoot him where he was exposed, luckily Zelda was there to deflect their assault.

"How're you doing back there?" Link called out, trying to lighten up the situation.

Zelda gritted her teeth. "Oh, just lovely I tell ya. As if staying on this crazy mare of yours was hard enough, now I gotta aim and shoot anyone behind us because Din knows if one of them hits you I can't ride a horse."

Link laughed lightheartedly as he stabbed a bulblin jumping in midair, then swinging it's corpse at the ones in the trees. "But you're doing sooooo well Zelda, I might just reward you with something special when this is all over." he said seductively.

Zelda scoffed. "Don't beguile me your Majesty, I have zero patience right now."

Link pretended to be offended. "I was just going to give you some cake, what's wrong with that?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Don't play innocent, my prince, I can see right through you."

"Aww, you're no fun. "

Zelda swatted him arm. "Ow!" he laughed, screwing up his swing at a bulblin, making the screeching monster fly far into the distance. "Always so serious, aren't we Zelda?"

Zelda chuckled. "I prefer the word focused, calm, pragmatic…" She swatted away an arrow aimed at her stomach, then threw a needle back at the startled bulblin.

"Tsundere?"

"As if!" Zelda shouted in denial. She looked around, checking out the rest of the field.

"Just be happy that Epona isn't quivering in fear from all these monsters. She's never done anything like this you know. This is her first time in battle."

"Well I'll be. With her personality I thought she belonged to a knight before you."

"Actually, when I first got her, Epona was scared of everyone, including me. I had to use a song to get her to even come near me."

"Huh. Interesting. Hey, I think we're almost done here."

"Really?" Link's face lit up. "How many left, approximately?"

"Eleven?"

"That's good!" Link plunged his sword into the heart of one monster. "Ten."

Zelda shot her needle into the neck of another. "Nine."

Link knocked back two more with a sideways slash. "Eight. Seven."

Zelda grabbed a flying arrow and returned it to its owner. "Six."

"Five"

"Four"

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

The last monster was killed. "Good, now can I get off?" Zelda asked, already unbuckling Link's belt, which was still strapped around her waist.

"Wait. Let me just get us back to the stable, keep the belt on."

"Wait, no I can…"

Epona turned around on her heels with a neigh. Zelda screamed and clung to Link's chest again. Link turned towards Zelda. "It's not so bad is it?" Link asked.

Zelda watched the scenery whizz past her at incredible speed. "Hmph. It's not something I would do again, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"Ok then. Let's go faster!" Link pretended to snap the reigns, to which Zelda's face paled. "Just kidding…" Link told her earnestly. Zelda pretended to look angry. In truth, the young Sheikah was exhausted. Keeping her Sheikah eyes activated for almost the entire night took up a lot of her energy, not to mention constant body activity without breaks. Sighing, she leaned her cheek against Link's back.

Link blushed at Zelda's sudden signs of affection. They rode like that for several minutes (Link had Epona go slower than usual), but her head immediately perked up when the stable came into sight, much to Link's disappointment. She released her arms as well, sitting up straighter. At the sound of a horse's steps, Ilia came out. Zelda immediately jumped off the horse just before Ilia noticed them. "Link!" Ilia called out, running toward the two excitedly. "The carriage driver and I set up the carriage, all we have to do is hook up Epona and we'll be good to go!"

Ilia took Link's hand and pulled him over to the carriage standing proudly outside the stable. "It took some work fixing the straps and all," Ilia said, wiping some sweat off her brow. "But it should work well." Ilia took Epona's reigns and led her over to the carriage. "Here girl. That's it, come on. Good, now just stand right there." Ilia talked to Link while the driver fixed Epona. "So how was it? Did Epona handle it well?"

"Yeah, she was fine with it. Must've been born for battle." Link replied, recalling how fearless the mare was in their fight.

"Oh, that's good! Did she get hurt?"

"No, Zelda did a good job of protecting her from the behind."

"I see." Ilia's tone hardened.

"Prince Link and Miss Ilia, are you two ready to go?" the carriage driver said, not bothering to include Zelda. She was the talk of every conversation amongst the workers of the palace. The Royal Guards constantly spoke of her heroics when the chandelier came crashing down on Ilia, and all the maids ever talked about was her relationship with the prince. Despite her popularity, all knew she was still a slave too, which was why the driver didn't invite her in. Slaves didn't ride with their masters in carriages, or anyone of high standing. Usually they walked to the side. The driver felt bad for the clearly drained girl, but he didn't dare try anything foolish.

Especially with the rumors going around about Ilia hatred for the blond-haired Sheikah.

* * *

**In case you didn't know already, the song Link whistled to Epona is Epona's song. I tried to take _TheAudienceOfOne_'s advice and not write textwalls, I didn't know about that rule with the new lines and dialogue. It's not an issue with the website, I did that on purpose. Thank you for taking the time to correct my mistakes, I'm still young so I tend to do that a lot. *Sigh* I'm tired. Not much to say here. Hope you enjoyed my bit of Zelink. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter has some filler, or, at least, information about a filler character, of that makes any sense. I have to start studying for the SHSATs, so things might be delayed a bit. Anyways, enjoy.**

* * *

"Yes, Link, let's go." Ilia smiled at the driver and motioned for Link to go inside. Link patted Epona's back. "Be good girl. Remember, we have to be quiet now, alright?"

The chauffeur closed the door behind the royals, then glanced around to see if the famous Sheikah was still there. He saw her a bit further down the road, gazing off into the distance. The young man stood there for a while, observing the girl. Sensing someone was watching her, Zelda turned around halfway. Her arms were crossed across her chest and she stared at him expectantly, foot tapping the stone pavement. The driver's eyes widened, a blush creeping across his face. "R-Right! Um…we are all ready to go." Hurriedly he jumped onto the driver's seat and snapped the reigns. Epona snorted slightly and started off with a brisk trot. They would break out into a run after they entered safe territory. That is, if the prince's slave could keep up with him. He doubted she'd be able to match one of Hyrule's finest horses, even if she wasn't in the state she was in.

Zelda rolled her eyes at the awkward driver. His strangely green hair was slicked back, creating a very polished look, which wasn't a bad quality to have if you served the Royal Family. Thick eyebrows the same color of his hair complimented very large brown eyes. He had a huge nose and rosy cheeks. Zelda had seen most carriage drivers sport the same outfit, a dark blue coat with beige pants and brown boots, but he also wore a blue scarf around his neck with a red and gold piece to tie it together. Zelda quickened her pace to catch up with the large carriage, looking around every so often to ensure that no monsters were around. They were close to the drawbridge, so she wouldn't have to worry for too long. Then again, there was always the chance that their enemies would follow them outside of the palace grounds. This would cause quite a bit of problems.

Luckily, there were no problems with escaping from the castle, and they soon met up with the vast Hyrule field. After walking several minutes in the spacious plains, the young driver had gathered the courage to speak to Zelda.

"Um… I-If you would like, you can r-ride up here if you need to take a break or something…"

Zelda, who had stayed silent during the entire trip so far, looked up nonchalantly. "There isn't time for breaks. I cannot let my guard down like that." she answered emotionlessly.

The driver was taken aback by her response. "But, aren't you tired? It's around four in the morning…"

"No, I'm fine."

"It wouldn't be a problem, you could just sit on the edge of the driver's seat, I wouldn't mind…"

"That would change your position, disrupting your control over the horse."

"It wouldn't matter; we're pretty safe for now. Besides, you look like you're exhausted."

"But I'm not tired." Zelda replied back stubbornly. She wasn't going to give in to her desire of sleep.

"It's about a three-hour trip to Kakariko. There really won't be any other time to rest."

"I'm fine."

"But, you could collapse in any second! I mean… girls shouldn't have to work so hard…like…"

Zelda's head whirled to face him, eyes glaring. "My job is to protect the prince. I intend on fulfilling that responsibility, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't tempt me to retire for the night." she snapped.

The driver was in shock at her sudden change of behavior. "I…I'm sorry to have upset you….please accept my apologies."

Zelda hesitated before responding. "Apology accepted."

"W-Was it because of something I said?"

"Hmph. You could say that."

"Um… well… the name's Fledge…"

"Speak louder."

"M-My name's Fledge!"

"Zelda."

"I know. I mean, I hear about you all the time, you're all I talk about, heck, you're all anyone ever talks about!"

Zelda eyed him suspiciously. _Wait, what did he just say?_

Fledge turned a bright red again. He had slipped up, again. Now he must appear to be like some sort of stalker.

"Um… well, you know…not literally of course…" Fledge said hastily, fraught for an excuse.

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "Right… of course…"

"Um…well…I guess since we have a lot of time, I guess we can talk?"

To be honest, Zelda wasn't sure what to think of this guy. He seemed to lack self-confidence, and clearly needed a lesson on how to make conversation with people. It was unclear to Zelda as to what his motives were for talking with her. but, in his own weird way, he was a good kid.

"W-Well, my parents died when I was about four. Our village was attacked during the Great War, and surprisingly, I was one of the few survivors. They sent me to live with my aunt and uncle in Castle Town. But they were always drunk, hardly having enough money to feed themselves, let alone another Hylian. They would send me…they would send me out in the streets to go and beg for money…since I…since I was a child and would get more sympathy from the world…" Fledge started tripping over his words, getting close to tears. Zelda's eyes flickered with unreadable emotions, but Fledge didn't notice. "And then…" Fledge stuttered unceremoniously, "If I didn't come home with much, they would say these hurtful things, and start beating me…"

"One day, the Royal Guards came knocking at our door. I'll never forget that day. I walked over, wobbling slightly due to a recent punishment. They gave me this concerned look, then asked if my aunt and uncle were home. My uncle staggered over, he was like 'What'er you studs want eh?" Then he grabbed the back of my collar and pulled me backwards. The force was so strong; I hit my head against the wall. Then my aunt came in, yelling at my uncle for Din knows what. The police just stood there, watching them argue. They made fools out of themselves. I had never felt more embarrassed in my life. I wanted to die right then. The look of disgust on the soldier's faces made me want to melt into a giant puddle on the floor. My aunt and uncle ended up getting arrested for child abuse, selling illegal drugs smuggled from Gerudion, and for drinking on sacred holidays. However, they had no idea as to where I should go."

"The only living relatives I had left were in jail. So they sent me to a special school to become a knight. But physical activity was never really my thing, and I'm not much of a strategist. The only thing I was good at was dealing with animals, mainly horses. My teacher said I should be carriage driver. And…here I am now."

Fledge turned to Zelda to check and see if she was paying attention. She wasn't looking at him, but she seemed to be deep in thought. "Zelda?" Fledge asked quietly.

Zelda glanced up. "Hm?"

"Um…so… d-do you have any stories to share…?"

Fledge thought he saw Zelda pale for a second, but even if she did she quickly regained her composure. Zelda stared at him with her bright red eyes. They had a different look in them, a look of sadness and sorrow locked up behind the doors of pride and time.

"I'm afraid that is something I cannot confide in with just anyone."

"O-Oh…" Fledge turned red again, feeling guilty for asking such a personal question. One could only guess where she got her honed martial arts skills and her cold-hearted appearance. "We're about halfway there anyway."

The rest of the ride was silent. Zelda tended to stay ahead of the others, leading the way as if she knew where she was going. As if she knew these lands better than anyone else. They were, in fact, heading in the right direction, but coming from a girl found wandering the forbidden deserts of Gerudion, it was a little strange.

* * *

Link leaned against his chair inside the carriage. Sitting across from him, Ilia was fast asleep. Her eyes had drooped closed the second they had left Lanayru Province. As for himself, Link couldn't fall asleep no matter what he tried. Thoughts and possibilities clouded his head. He feared for all who weren't able to make it out as safely as he did.

What had become of Impa and Captain Auru? They had stayed behind to fight off enemies so he and Zelda could make a quick escape. But what happened to them afterwards? Were they assigned to do something else? Did any of them get injured? Did they even _survive_? No, that couldn't happen. Both of them had too much pride to give in the depths of death that easily. Yet still, Link couldn't help but feel concerned for their well-being. And what about all the other people who attended that ball?

What happened to King Ganon and Queen Nabooru?

Link decided not to think about the mysterious desert dwellers. There was too much on his mind for him to worry about them. Instead, Link watched as the dark blue sky slowly became painted into a soft white just above the horizon. The white stripe gradually began to rise, revealing a dull orange stripe below it. Off in the distance, a little white arch perked right above the icy mountains in the Peak Province. The white arch slowly rose, revealing the bright sun. Orange light surrounded the sun. It was an extremely long process, but since Link had the time he was able to sit through it all. It distracted him from his worries, even if only for a short while.

Link gulped as memories of him and his parents watching the sunrise as a child flooded his mind. Of him complaining the sun was taking too long, and his mother chiding him to be more patient while his father chuckled at his son's childish antics. Even if Impa had said they boarded a carriage to Kakariko safely, Farore knows what would've happened to them on the way. They could've gotten ambuscaded, or…

Link jumped as the carriage drove over a particularly large bump in the road. _Dear Farore, that scared the living daylights out of me. When I become king I'm going to have to speak to the Council about road work._ This brought a new idea to his already troubled head. What if the driver had crashed? Ever since the Great War, not many settlements were left in Hyrule, only Castle Town, Kakariko Village, and Ordon Village remained, along with Zora's Domain and Goron City. There were also a few other houses scattered around Hyrule, but those were usually occupied by small businesses and such. So, if they were to crash, there wouldn't be anyone around really to help them. Link sighed sadly. He could only pray that his parents were safe.

"Prince Link, we are almost at Kakariko Village. We should arrive in several minutes. Link poked his head out the window, and sure enough, the two cliffs that served as a gate for Kakariko Village came into view, along with the treacherous Death Mountain, with its infamous ring of smoke surrounding its peak. Just looking at the massive landform made it seem even more impossible to climb. Despite it being called a "mountain", it was well-known throughout all of Hyrule that huge lava lakes lay inside rocky structure, along with valuable ores sought by merchants everywhere.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt, and Epona neighed loudly. Fledge quickly jumped off the driver's seat and held to door open for the couple. "Ilia…" Link whispered, nudging her cheek with his hand. "Hey… wake up." Ilia stirred for a moment, then opened her eyes.

"Hey…" she replied dreamily. "How long was I out for?"

"Bout' three-quarters of the ride."

Ilia smiled and stretched out her arms, yawning sleepily. "I'm going to sleep as soon as I get the chance."

Link laughed a bit. If it was anyone who could cheer him up in a time of crisis, it was Ilia. "Yeah? Have fun with that."

Ilia got up groggily and took Fledge's outstretched hand as he helped her down the stairs. Link jumped out soon afterwards, relieved to be on solid land once more. Link inhaled the countryside air. Hyrule Field sure was large. It stretched out as far as Link could see. Link turned towards the gate and saw his mother and father. Their backs were turned to him. Link's eyes lit up with delight and reprieve. Slowly, he began to run, gradually picking up his pace.

"Mom! Dad!" Link called out happily. The two rulers turned around, revealing the ones they were talking to. Link immediately stopped in his steps, face in complete shock. There, behind his parents, were the king and queen of the desert kingdom itself.

"Well, well, Prince Link seems to have actually made it out okay." Ganondorf said with the slightest smirk on his face.

Link returned his remark with a scowl, but he didn't have it for long before his mother enveloped him into a huge hug. "L-Link…" Queen Marin squeezed him tightly. "I…no, _we_, were so worried about you!" The Hylian queen had now burst into tears, and was quietly sobbing into her son's shoulder.

"Mom…" Link whined boyishly, but his mom held him tighter. "When chaos broke out… I had tried to find you… but you weren't anywhere… and we had to leave without you… I'm so sorry Link… and now look what's happened to you. You have cuts and bruises everywhere, and your suit is all torn!"

Queen Marin turned to face her husband, grabbing the prince's wrist tightly. "Look what's happened Alfon! Our son has been beaten by whoever it was that attacked our fair kingdom! We should've stayed Alfon, we should've looked for him first!"

Alfon smiled knowingly at his son, who reimbursed the smile with one of his own. "These were not cuts and bruises of defeat my queen. They were the cuts and bruises of a warrior."

Queen Marin sniffed. "You went out there and fought on your own?" she asked meekly.

Link smiled down at his mother. "Well, I had the help of Zelda. I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for her."

Queen Marin took a step back and brushed off her skirts. "Ah… I see." she replied, her voice having a much different tone from before.

Link furrowed his brow in response. As soon as he mentioned Zelda's name, the queen had changed her attitude completely. It wasn't as if she had anything against Zelda, right?

From behind them, King Ganon coughed loudly. All three Hylians turned toward him and his wife.

"Yes, speaking of Zelda, how is she? Has she adjusted to the life of a castle slave yet?"

"She had adjusted to castle life, yes, but not as a slave. I see Zelda more as a friend than a servant." Link retorted.

"Is that so? So you just let her roam around the castle with nothing to do?"

Well, that was a blunt way to put it. Link suddenly felt uneasy. "She mostly helps the other servants with their work, and she keeps me company."

Queen Nabooru took this as her opportunity to jump in. "Isn't that what your fiancée is for, Prince Link? I mean, you two will be married soon. Are you sure Zelda is just a friend? Or does your heart long for something more? I expected more of the prince of Hyrule, who knew he was starting a harem…"

Link's face turned hot. "You're one to talk! Seeing how you walk around with your undergarments on like you're gorgeous, while everyone else sees you as some sort of…"

"That's enough!" King Alfon snapped. "Link, you are free to do whatever you like, as long as it is within Kakariko Village. I ask that you do not cause any problems with King Ganon and Queen Nabooru. They are our allies and friends now, and I expect you to treat them with respect."

Link rolled his eyes shoved past the Gerudo rulers. "Oh, and one more thing Link…"

Link stopped. _What now?_

King Ganon stuck his nose in the air like a noble and smirked. "If you aren't giving Zelda any real work to do, and you do see her as a friend, then why don't you free her?"

Link scowled and walked away as fast as he could.

* * *

**If you truly care about someone, would you be willing to let them go if it brings them happiness? That's something I ask myself a lot. I wanted to put Fledge in. I don't know why. Hyrule is supposed to look like the map in Twilight Princess, but I put Goron City as the title of the little Goron settlement on Death Mountain in TP. Check out my DeviantART account if you want to, so far I haven't posted much but I doodle a lot so I'll have some more photos up soon. They changed the way Youtube looks again, and personally I hate it, because when I want to see my subscriptions I have all these recommended videos that I never end up looking at in my way. Personal rant here. Thanks for reading! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey Miharu here! Sorry for the late update, I was vacationing in Williamsburg, which, by the way, is a very nice place to visit. We saw the colonial houses and everything. But, now I'm back in New York, so I should be able to update again. Enjoy!**

* * *

Link lazily opened his eyes. It was 5:00 in the afternoon. After being treated for his wounds and taking a bath, Link went straight to bed. He was completely drained, never in his life had he worked that hard, even during sparring practice. The cheap training sword, made of iron hollowed out on the inside to degrade quality, had put up a long fight, but was now far too blunt to ever be used in battle again. It was now leaning against the wood walls of the inn they were staying at in Kakariko. The owner was a nice man, Renado, who was also the chief of the village.

Still tired from the previous day's events, Link dragged himself out of the bed. It seemed like decades had gone by since he first heard Zelda speak, and even more from when he had eaten something. The last time must've been at the party, right? Link wandered around the halls until he found what appeared to be the kitchen. Luda, the shaman's daughter, was standing over a table, cutting a radish of some sort.

Hearing footsteps, Luda looked up, to see the prince of Hyrule standing in the doorway. She immediately smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt and pretended not to see him. Unfortunately, Link had seen her notice him.

"Hey. Your name's Luda, right?" Link asked, standing next to the black-haired girl. Luda stopped what she was doing and turned toward him, but kept her eyes averted to the floor.

"Yes, your Highness."

Link smiled. "You can just call me Link. That's what all my friends call me."

Luda stared into the prince's sky blue eyes. "O-Okay…um, would you like something to eat?"

Link nodded. "Yes please!"

Luda brought up a stool and positioned it next to the table she was working at. Scanning the contents inside the cupboard, Luda pulled out a loaf of bread and some goat cheese. From the icebox, she poured a glass of milk.

Shyly, Luda placed the tray of food in front of Link, then went back to cutting the vegetables for tonight's dinner.

"By the way," Link stated, mouth half full of food, "Are you, Renado, and the bomb-seller the only residents here in Kakariko?"

Luda expression changed. Her eyes were full of melancholy and grief. "Yes." she answered, "There used to be a lot more people, but our village was attacked during the Great War. My father, mother, and Barnes were the only survivors. When my mother had me, she died as well."

"Sometimes the Gorons come down from Death Mountain, but they never stay for too long, they prefer the heat of their mountain. Kakariko has mostly become a place of rest for weary travelers now, so my father started this inn."

Link felt bad for the girl. "Oh…I'm sorry. It must get lonely around here."

Luda smiled a bit. "Not really, because when people stop by to visit, they bring their kids, and I can play with them after I've finished my chores. Once, we had four kids from Ordon stay here. They were so fun! I still send them letters whenever I can. When I grow up, I'm going to invite them over for parties and such."

"I'm sure they would love to. This is a wonderful village."

"Really? Thanks! My father works really hard to keep it together."

Link finished his food. "Well, thank you for the food. By the way, have you seen a Sheikah girl around here? Blond hair, blue eyes, pink dress."

Luda smiled brightly. "You mean Zelda? She's been helping me with my chores all morning. I think she's over there, resting in the spring."

Link stood up and tossed the girl a yellow rupee he found in his pocket. "Okay. Nice chatting with you."

Luda waved. "Bye Link!"

Outside, Link found Zelda sitting in a huge spring near the edge of town. She was staring at the small waterfall from the upper level of the pond. Light pink fairies floated around the pond, occasionally knocking into each other and landing in the water.

Link sat down next to her, finding the water surprisingly warm and refreshing. "Hey."

Zelda met his eyes. "Hey."

"…You didn't get any sleep, did you?"

Zelda laughed lightly and stared back at the springs. "No. I decided to help out around the inn, they're short on workers you know."

Link gave her a solemn look. "You should get some rest soon you know. You'll get sick."

Zelda traced an intricate pattern into the sand. "That's why I'm relaxing here. This spring has healing waters you know."

Link rolled his eyes. "Seriously?"

Zelda grinned. "Yup. They say the spirit of Eldin resides here. It's one of the four sacred springs in Hyrule, the other three being in Ordon Province, Faron Woods, and Lake Hylia."

"Do a spirit reside in each one?"

"Ordona lives in Ordon Springs, Faron lives in Faron Springs, and Lanayru lives in Lanayru Springs, respectively. The four light spirits were known for aiding the Hero of Time throughout his journey."

"Okay, so I get that, but what's with all the fairies?" Link asked as a single fairy flitted over to where he was and swirled around him, then disappeared.

Zelda giggled when he tried to swat away another that tried to approach him. "They're healing fairies. When the Hero of Time was exploring the Desert Province, now known as the country of Gerudion, back then it was a part of Hyrule, he came across the Cave of Ordeals, a huge underground dungeon housing the Great Fairies. Rather than completing difficult puzzles and facing dangerous bosses, the Hero was forced to fight off hordes of enemies, each floor containing monsters more difficult than the last. However, every tenth floor, a Great Fairy appeared, offering to send fairies to one of the Spirit Springs, and at the last floor, a Great Fairy offered to fill one of the Hero's bottles with Great Fairy Tears. There was a total of fifty floors, with the forty-ninth having three Darknuts, and almost no hearts, with the exception of a few well-hidden hearts on a couple floors, yet the Hero was able to finish the dungeon twice. The healing fairies themselves restore one's health, giving them energy, so that's how I was able to make it through the day without sleeping."

Link was impressed by her knowledge of Hyrule, and even more so, with the Hero of Time. "Wow. How did you know all that? I thought you lived in Gerudion before you came here."

Zelda let a fairy sit on her outstretched finger. "I didn't live in Gerudion. I was found there. I used to live in the Hidden Village. The Hidden Village was founded as a place for Sheikahs, as they were not usually welcomed in other towns. Like Kakariko, the Hidden Village was raided as well…" she trailed off.

"My brother," she started again, "He often told be stories about the Hero and Hyrule's history…"

Link hesitated before pressing further. "If I may…" Link asked, trying as hard as he could not to push Zelda into revealing something she didn't want the reveal, "What happened to your brother…?"

Zelda sighed sadly. "It's a long story, and it's also quite hard to understand."

"Roughly every thousand years, a Sheikah with exceptional ability is born. This Sheikah is said to be the reincarnation of the Great Impa, the original Sheikah, who was said to have incomparable abilities herself. The last reincarnation of Impa was said to be Princess Zelda herself, when he disguised as a Sheikah to assist the Hero of Time. This upset the Sheikah slightly, the fact that the reincarnation wasn't a really one of them. However, one thousand years later, after watching my brother fight the elders of the village began to believe that he was the re-embodiment of the Great Impa. Despite his young age, my brother was well respected in the village. He taught warriors that were decades older than him. Word quickly spread around Hyrule that the reincarnation of the Great Impa had been found. This caused many to target him, because having him on their side could be a threat. Assassins were often sent to our village, but they were all tracked down and killed. All but one made it through the eyes of the Sheikah, and this is why my village was attacked."

Link watched as the fairy took flight from Zelda's finger. "What happened to you after your village was raided?"

Zelda fingered her Sheikah necklace, tracing the teardrop that ran down from the eye. "The raid took place after the Great War ended. All the men were wounded from years of battle, and the women were exhausted from giving birth to supply more warriors. A group of bandits, supposedly not affiliated with King Ganon and the Gerudo Army, attacked the defenseless village. I still remember that day. I was four years old…."

_It was about 1:00 in the morning. _

_I woke up to the sound of shouting and swords clanging. Confused, I got out of bed and went to alert my brother. But when I reached his bedroom, the room was empty. Now concerned, I ran into the halls. The front door had been left ajar, and I heard foreign voices coming from the living room. _

"_Sheik?" I started heading towards the living room. "Sheik? Where are you?"_

_The voices stopped. Footsteps pounded against the floor as a Gerudo ran out. He reached for me, but I slapped his hand away. _

"_Little brat…" he mumbled, glaring daggers at me. "We know this is where the reincarnation lives. Tell me where he is."_

_My legs were shaking, but I managed to reply._

"_I'll never tell you. He'll have you dead before you see him."_

_Another Gerudo appeared at the doorway, laughing his head off. "Quite a big mouth you got there lil' lady! Maybe you can use that big mouth of yours to scream his name as we kill you!"_

"_No!" I shouted back, as I felt myself being lifted by the collar of my dress. I squirmed around and dug my nails into his wrist, but it was no use._

"_Who do you think this girl is anyway? She seems to know the reincarnation well. Girlfriend maybe?"_

"_Nah. She's way too young. Probably his sister since she's in the same house."_

_I kicked my legs back and forth. It became harder and harder to breathe. My eyes got watery. I wondered when my brother would save me, or if he would. I was always following him around, even when his friends were there. I'm sure I came off as clingy, at least to his friends. Even at school, the only thing I talked about with my classmates was how cool my brother was. I couldn't help it. I admired my brother almost as much as I admired the king and queen of Hyrule. I did everything to be like him. But, perhaps now that he has the chance, my brother will let me die. And, if that made him a better warrior, if my death helped him advance, I was willing to give my life at any given moment._

"_Get your damned hands off her!" _

_I was dropped from the Gerudo's grasp, landing in a heap on the floor. I looked up, seeing my brother standing above me, ready to fight. _

"_Sheik!" I cried._

_The Gerudos smirked and clapped each other on the shoulders. "See? I knew torturing the girl would draw out the prize. We'll team up and take him down together, but remember? The boss wants him alive."_

_I stood up, staggering slightly. I changed my position to the fighting stance I was taught. _

"_Go." I whispered, nudging my brother. He shifted his eyes toward me. "Run away. I'll hold them back."_

_Sheik smiled at me, stifling a laugh at my bold statement. He bent down and kissed my forehead lightly, then pushed me to sit. _

_In a matter of seconds, the Gerudos were defeated, dropping dead to the floor. Meanwhile, Sheik didn't even break a sweat._

_I watched as my brother came over, cupping my right cheek with his hand. _

"_Sheik…" I said, voice barely above a whisper. "What happened to Mother and Father…?"_

_Sheik shook his head, still fingering my face. I looked at his hand, and my eyes widened. A strange brown dust was covering his fingers, and it smelled like Deku nuts. Deku nuts have a special compound in them that can knock you out, and they are often used as weapons due to their multiple uses and compact size. _

"_No! Wait!" I fought to keep myself awake, already losing consciousness. "Please! Let me help you!"_

_Sheik removed his hand. "Go to sleep Zelda," he murmured, placing his hand over my forehead and sliding my eyelids closed. "When you wake up, it'll all be better."_

_I felt myself drifting into a deep slumber. Just before I fell asleep, I managed to ask one question._

"_Will I awaken with the goddesses, or will I awaken with you?"_

_Sheik seemed taken aback by this. "Shh…" he scooped me up in his arms, leaning my head against his arm._

"When I woke up, we were in Hyrule Field, miles away from home. I never saw the Hidden Village again."

* * *

**I'm not exactly sure how long this story will be, but I think we're near the halfway point. Now we're going to get to know more about Zelda's past and what made her into the warrior she is. Just for the record, I believe that Sheik is just Zelda in disguise. Zelda was cross-dressing, okay? She didn't go through some magical sex-change, that's only in the manga, which wasn't written by Nintendo (I actually love the Legend of Zelda manga, but I'm just saying...) And even if several characters refer to Sheik as a "he", it is because Zelda concealed her identity so well. So why did I make Sheik Zelda's older brother? Because I wanted to and needed a well-known figure like Sheik to play a role like this in the story. Please don't abandon my story because you disagree with my standing on the Sheik's gender debate ;) Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Welcome to the 13****th**** chapter of Whatever It Takes! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The Hylian prince listened intently. Zelda's voice ached with pain for every word she spoke. Link knew it was killing her to recall such horrible events and put them into words someone like him could understand. But he had to know more. After all that's happened, he though he knew Zelda. Yet there was this past she had that Link didn't know existed.

Hesitantly, Link spoke. "S-so, what happened to you after that…?"

Zelda lifted her head so she could face Link properly. "We traveled all throughout Hyrule. When I first woke up, Sheik told me we were going on an adventure. Believe it or not, I actually thought we were on a journey to find this great treasure the Sheikah had hidden long ago." she laughed, although Link could tell she was faking it. She was still grieving for her brother, and was too stubborn to admit it. Time never healed the wounds in her heart.

Deciding to change the subject, Link said "It must've been cool traveling all throughout Hyrule though."

Zelda's face brightened, even if only by a little. "Oh, yes! We've been everywhere in Hyrule, from the snow-capped mountains of the Peak Province to the warm forest of Ordon! Heheh…" she started giggling, despite her previous state of tension.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"It's just; remember when Ilia sent me to go run some errands for the Royal Family in Castle Town? You seemed so relieved when I came back to the castle, like I was coming back from war or something."

Link thought for a moment. "Oh yeah! I thought you might've gotten lost or kidnapped or something!"

"Well, we stayed in Castle Town for a while, so that's how I got my way around so easily. But the look on your face, you made it seem like you really cared about me!"

Link's face turned a bright red. _Doesn't she already know I care about her? Or does she mean…_

Zelda seemed to find enjoyment in her master's embarrassment. "Getting a bit flustered there?" she asked tauntingly, poking him in the forehead just as he had done to her. This caused Link to get even redder.

"H-Hey! Don't steal my lines." Link pouted, pretending to look serious and offended.

Zelda laughed again. For some reason, Link loved the sound of it. Not allowing himself time for second thoughts, Link poked her stomach, causing her to giggle even more. Link repeated this, finding the girl's reactions amusing.

Zelda figured out his plan pretty quickly, and tried holding in her responses every time he poked her. She couldn't help but let out a small giggle when Link pinched her hip lightly.

"S-Stop…" Zelda pleaded, clutching her stomach. This prompted Link to continue his assault, waiting until she turned slightly towards him before using both his hands to tickle her mercilessly. Finally, Zelda leaned back, completely submitting herself to him. Link smirked victoriously, and let her go.

Zelda sat up immediately, glaring at him. Link laughed at her, dripping wet from lying back in the water. "So the great Sheikah warrior from afar…" Link drawled mockingly, "Has finally succumbed to his Royal Highness. With his superior skills, quick wits, and charming personality…"

Zelda scoffed jokingly. "Scratch that last one off the list for sure."

Link ignored her, continuing his humorous speech. "Yes, she had put up quite a fight, but was no match for the Prince of Hyrule. And now, we must decide a fitting reward for the Prince putting his life on the line…"

"Oh-ho ho ho, you think it's all over, don't you? The great Sheikah will never succumb, and I shall seek revenge some day!" Zelda declared, playing along perfectly.

"Is that so?" Link tilted his head to the side in fake confusion. "But you would never do that, not when I can fulfill your darkest desires…" he teased.

"Shut up!" Zelda exclaimed, tackling Link to the ground. Link was caught off guard, and saw Zelda hovering above him. Her necklace barely touched the tip of his nose.

"Heh." she grinned triumphantly. "Revenge has been sought."

She rolled off him before he said another word. "You know…" she said dreamily, her tone of voice completely different from before.

"What?" Link asked. The mood had suddenly become tense.

"If we keep splashing around like this, I think we'll kill off the whole fairy population here." she said, pointing towards a couple fairies that fell in the water. Their wings got heavy from absorbing so much water."

"We need to help them," Link stood up in the water, then walked over to where a couple fairies were. "Pick them up and we can let them dry on those rocks over there."

He heard the water slosh behind him, and soon Zelda was by his side, holding out her hands to take the fairies off Link's hands. Link gently laid them down in her hands. He suddenly noticed how smaller they seemed compared to his.

_Now that I think about it…_ Link thought _Zelda's only a few inches shorter than me. Yet she's agile, strong, level-headed, beautiful… _

Link shook his head. Where did that come from? Link looked back at her. Zelda's back was turned to him, so she wouldn't see him staring. _Well, it's not like she's bad looking, prettier than a lot of the princesses I've seen... _

He resumed lifting up the pink fairies, trying to distract himself from any feelings he might've had for Zelda. He was being married in a few months. He had to do what's best for his kingdom.

"Hey, Link…" Zelda called out. Link moved over to where she was.

"What is it?"

"Don't you think the fairies would burn if we left them in the sun like this?" she shielded her eyes from the sun.

"Hm… you're right. But there isn't really any better place to keep them…" Link stated simply.

Zelda looked around, before running off to the right. "Z-Zelda?" Link called out, unsure of what she was doing. But soon Zelda came back, with a branch full of leaves in her hands.

"Where'd you get that from?" Link asked. There didn't appear to be much greenery around here.

"Luda. She uses them to fuel the fireplace, but she let me have these."

Link sweatdropped. "Yeah, but what can we do with tho-" he stopped, seeing how Zelda was positioning the branch so shade fell on the fairies.

"Inovative…" he whispered. Never would he have thought of using leaves like that.

"Right?" Zelda smiled, admiring her work. Some of the fairies were already flapping their wings and flying around the spring like they usually did.

"Link? Link, we are holding a meeting to discuss last night's events with the Gerudos. Come to the sanctuary at once." Queen Marin called out. She looked disdainfully at Link's sopping wet clothes. "And for Hylia's sake, dry off before you walk in! Why are you wading around in the water anyways? That water probably isn't very clean."

Link furrowed his brow. "But this is one of the four Light Springs! These waters are sacred."

Queen Marin looked at her son as if he had twelve heads. "What are you talking about Link? We have to go? What's a Light Spring anyway?"

The Queen turned on her heel and started back toward the inn. Link stared at her, confused.

"Why doesn't she know the story of the Light Springs? She's the Queen of Hyrule!"

Zelda shrugged. "You didn't know the story at first either. And you're the Prince of Hyrule."

Link turned to her. "Yeah, but she's supposed to know these things. I thought kings and queens were supposed to know everything about their kingdoms."

"I guess one can't assume anything…" Zelda sighed. "You should start headed over there now. Water takes a while to dry."

"Yeah, I suppose. Though I really don't like the idea of sharing our kingdom's issues with King Ganon and Queen Nabooru."

Zelda tilted her head to the side. "And why is that? They do have a treaty with Hyrule, after all. Our troubles are one and the same. After an event like this, we should be happy to have their support."

Link clenched his fists lightly. "That's where the problem is. Why do we need their support anyways? Hyrule has been fine on its own for years, if we really wanted an alliance with someone, we should've gone with someone like Termina."

"Because they were preparing for an event like this. If these raids were to continue throughout Hyrule, we would need help immediately, and Gerudion is a lot closer than Termina is." Zelda pointed out.

"I still don't like it." Link gritted his teeth. "And quite frankly, I don't see how you can like them either. They're the ones who kidnapped you."

Zelda flinched slightly. "I still believe that their intentions were good when they met with your parents…"

Link was shocked to hear this. "How can you say that though?! You were taken in as a _slave_. It doesn't get much crueler than that. They tried to whip you just for show. You honestly believe they had good intentions?"

Zelda looked down. "Slaves are common in Gerudion. It's how they grew up; thinking some people were made to be lesser than others. Besides, what they've done to me has nothing to do with how they treat your parents and you."

Link placed his hands on her shoulders. "But it does. Maybe not to my parents, but to me."

Zelda lifted her head. "And what do you mean by that?" she asked, clearly testing him.

It was Link's turn to stare at the ground. "…I do care about you…"

* * *

"Somehow, you seem sincere when you say that."

Link immediately dropped his hands and Zelda took two steps back.

"I can see why they say you'll be the best ruler Hyrule ever had. You truly care about the commoners, don't you? It's such an honor to be able to rule by your side, _Prince Link_." Ilia said, flipping her hair back. "Your mother is wondering where you are. She sent me out here to fetch you."

"R-Right…" Link stammered, stepping out of the water and wringing out his clothes.

"I-I'm going to see if Luda needs any help in the kitchen…" Zelda mumbled, water splashing around her ankles as she walked out.

"Hold on…" Ilia grabbed Zelda's wrist, stopping her. Zelda's breath hitched in her throat. "I need you to help me with something. You see, ever since we left the castle, my appearance still looks ragged from when I was being kidnapped. Considering I am to be the queen, I believe that I must look my best at all times. You wouldn't mind helping me, would you?" Ilia asked sweetly, holding her dress up as if she were about to curtsy.

"O-Oh, of course, M-Miss Ilia… although, sewing isn't exactly my forte…" Zelda tried to ease the tension that seemed to emanate from Ilia.

"I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job. You're good at everything it seems!" Ilia chuckled. Still holding the younger girl's wrist, Ilia went off in the direction of the inn.

"Prince Link? Are you coming?"

"Yeah…" Link followed her, but looked back at the spring once more.

He could've sworn he heard something. Oh well.

* * *

During the meeting, Link could hardly keep his eyes open. If this was what all official conferences were like, thank Nayru he didn't have to go to any on a daily basis.

Nabooru's bracelets clanged together constantly, and it was really starting to give Link a headache. Queen Marin was casually knitting in the meantime, and occasionally spoke up to vote on something. Other than that, it was mostly King Alfon and Ganondorf talking.

"It's a shame that such a tragic event ruined what was supposed to be a lovely evening…" King Ganondorf trailed off, staring into space.

"It is indeed. Are we going to reschedule the festivities for another date?"

"That would be unwise. What if our enemies were to target us again? Besides, I believe we've informed the kingdom of all that needed to be said."

_We've informed the kingdom of all that needed to be said…_ Link mimicked the desert king mockingly in his head. _As if he would ever care._ _Why am I here again?_

"Aww, we aren't going to have another party?" Queen Nabooru's bracelets banged together as she held a finger to her lip, pouting like a child. "How disappointing."

King Ganondorf smiled and placed his hand on his wife's. "Don't worry dear, I'll be sure to make it up to you tonight…" he said lustfully. Link tried as hard as he could not to gag. Who says something like that in the middle of nowhere? Even Alfon and Marin looked uncomfortable.

Nabooru smiled playfully in return. "I'm going to hold you to that you know…"

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"So long that I might be a little out of shape. Do forgive me please."

"It's alright. Do you remember the first time-"

"AHEM!" Link cleared his throat loudly, startling all four monarchs to the point where Queen Marin dropped her needles. Mischievous ideas forming in his head, Link decided to put the two Gerudos on the spot.

"Now, now, let's not look that far back into history, we have to focus on the present, no? That is what the meeting is about…" Link teased.

Nabooru flushed a bright red. "W-We're not that old you know…"

Link just shrugged. "Well, you know, just be careful, excessive movements can cause severe injuries. Age just creeps up on you, doesn't it? You might want to try something a little less, _hardcore_."

"Link…" King Alfon warned him.

Link turned to his father. "No, no, I'm only concerned for their well-being you know? I don't think there are any wet-nurses around here…"

"Link!" Queen Marin snapped. "You're being extremely immature right now! Stop, or you will have to leave!"

Link leaned back lazily. "You mean to say you don't find it inappropriate to talk about one's sex life during a conference with the King and Queen of Hyrule?"

"LINK FARORE AVALON!" King Alfon stood up and slammed his fist on the table, shaking the glasses of wine. "You are to leave at once! Go to your room and you are to stay there until morning! And now the goddesses look down on me for punishing my son as if he were five!"

"I'll go with him," Queen Marin announced, setting her knitting needles and yarn down on the table.

Link stood up, not bothering to push his chair in. As he was opening the door, Link said "Don't forget the promise I made."

Link made sure to slam the door as he stormed off.

King Alfon hid his head in his hands. "I don't know what I'm going to do with him…" he sighed sadly. Ganondorf placed his hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

Nabooru gazed at the door. "He's still a boy, yet he's going through a lot…"

King Alfon turned towards her. "Whatever do you mean Queen Nabooru?"

"Well, you do realize that the announcement of Ilia and Link's marriage was rather, unexpected. I have a feeling Link didn't know it was going to happen, and perhaps he isn't ready yet."

"Perhaps, but Link is eighteen years old. He hasn't requested to visit any neighboring kingdoms, and certainly hasn't taken interest in any princesses we've forced him to visit. Instead, he turns them off and then leaves as soon as possible. And it's not like we haven't tried royalty amongst our own kingdom. That lovely princess from the Zoras? Poor Ruto, after the first dinner, she hid in her room for the rest of our visit."

King Ganon stepped in. "Exactly how does Link 'turn them off'?"

Alfon rubbed the bridge of his nose. "He uses different techniques, but the most common one is when he bores them to death with his talk of the 'Hero of Time' and his dreams of 'adventure' and all. As his parents, we've heard it over and over, but honestly, he treats those stories as if they were his own!"

Ganondorf and Nabooru exchanged glances, though they were unreadable to anyone else.

"I am so disappointed in you!" Queen Marin exclaimed, almost at a yelling level. "What do you have against them Link? What have they done to you?!"

Link glared at her. "They killed Marth. I can't forgive them for that."

Queen Marin sighed sympathetically. "What happened in Altea is none of our business Link. There's nothing we can do about it. Their country doesn't even exist anymore. It has been reduced to nothing. Nothing but wildlife and thick, impenetrable forests. There's no point in avenging what isn't there."

"It's not like that," Link stated plainly. "I don't think I can forgive them."

Queen Marin paused, her thoughts swimming. "Maybe you'll find out how after tonight. I'm locking this door and having a guard patrol this hall." she declared quickly, trying to get back the anger she had before.

* * *

***Gasp* Sorry for the adult themes. Ilia ruined the moment. It pained me so much to put her there because I knew how much of an upset it would be. But I needed to keep Zelda occupied, so yeah. Summer's almost ending, sadly. Best of luck for the new year. Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**So, so, so, so sorry for the late update! I wanted to get this one done before school started, but then I decided to change like 3/4 of it. My friend said I'm terrible to my fans. I'm sorry. Love you guys enjoy!**

* * *

Link sighed softly and leaned back against the door, slowly sliding down until he reached the floor. It was going to be a long, long night.

Even the room itself didn't have much to offer. There was his sword, the bed, which was covered in some sort of animal skin for sheets, a bedside table with a cabinet underneath it, and a small tub. You know, for nature's callings.

Curiosity got the best of him, and Link opened the cabinet's door. Inside was a glass bottle of water and a loaf of bread. Cobwebs lined the corners of the cabinet, but otherwise the bread was untouched. Link closed it. Not finding anything of actual interest, except for the fact that he didn't have to worry about becoming dehydrated.

Link flopped onto the floor, sprawling out. No one could see him anyway. The curtains on the window were closed. After lying around for a couple minutes, Link realized he was sweltering. He proceeded with taking off his stiff dress shirt, leaving him in his undershirt and trousers. It was still kind of hot though.

_Stupid Gerudos…_ Link thought. _Why do they have to stick their noses in Hyrule's business? How can my parents forgive them that easily? The Great War resulted in the downfall of Altea, one of the most successful countries ever, not to mention Hyrule's ally. They act all concerned for Hyrule's sake, but are they really?_

His thoughts soon shifted to the Great War itself. The war had started long before he was born. Probably around when Alfon was about to be crowned king, and his mother queen.

It all started way back when Gerudion was still a province of Hyrule. At the time, the Gerudos were just a tribe hiding amongst the wasteland known as Gerudo Valley. The Gerudos wanted their freedom, and so a war was fought. In the end, Hyrule lost, and a new country formed directly alongside Hyrule. At first, Hylians were worried over whether the Gerudos would try to invade and take over more of Hyrule's land, but in the end, they didn't.

Roughly 150 years later, King Daphnes III (Link's grandfather) requested an audience with the Gerudos. As of then the Gerudos weren't hostile, but they weren't exactly friends with Hyrule either. King Daphnes III asked if the Gerudos would be willing to unite the two nations once more, under Hyrule's name of course. Queen Aveil ultimately refused. Persisting, Daphnes III reminded Aveil that the goddesses made Gerudion a part of Hyrule, and so it should stay. Being a Gerudo, Aveil refused to fulfill the wishes of a Hylian, a man, no less. Gerudos were known for their self-reliance and need for independence. King Daphnes III even threatened to attack, and when the Gerudo Queen remained stubborn, he even went as far as to make Aveil his wife. Disgusted by the latter, Aveil ordered the Gerudos to attack the settlements around Lake Hylia. And so, the Great War had begun. Hyrule's ally Altea had gotten involved, so did the other races of Hyrule. It was all just a huge mess. No one really knows for sure why Daphnes was so fixated on making Gerudion a part of Hyrule, but in the end, both he and Aveil died in the war.

The war had ended when Link was around five years old. Ganondorf, who was put in charge after his mother died, raised the white flag. Hyrule could've gotten Gerudion as another province, but Alfon turned them down. He wanted to keep peace within Hyrule, and believed that having the two countries stay separate was the way to do it. Then, King Ganon wanted an alliance with Hyrule, so on and so forth.

And here Link was today. Stuck in an inn in Kakariko after bad-mouthing the desert rulers.

_Several hours later…_

Link banged his head against the wall against the wall repeatedly. This. Was. Torture. Who knew being trapped in a room could be so difficult? After cursing out the Gerudos mentally; practicing his sword techniques, even inventing a few of his own; and imagining himself practicing his sword techniques on the Gerudos, Link was bored out of his mind.

Upon opening the curtain, Link saw that it was night, and the entire village was inside sleeping. The windows were dark, while the stars shone brightly in the sky.

"Guess I should head off to sleep," Link said to himself, and climbed into the bed. However, he decided to keep the window open, because it was getting stuffy, again.

Slowly, Link was able to drift off into sleep.

* * *

Link opened his eyes. He was back in Hyrule Castle. The place looked deserted, as if no one had been there for years. Wall tapestries hung loosely from their nails, some even tearing down the sides and collecting dust on the floor. Link stared at everything, confused. What had happened? Tables were knocked down, crushing the objects on top of them. Link started walking, when he heard a strange cracking sound. Looking down, he saw shards of various ceramics and vases, some of which he could make out the designs on them. Ignoring it, he continued on his exploration of what was supposed to be home.

Pulling open the large doors to the ballroom, Link stepped inside the ballroom. Strangely, the ballroom was full of people. They were all dancing, like some sort of celebration. Glancing toward the corner of the room, where a lone knight was leaning against a column. Something seemed familiar about that man.

Link smacked his cheek with his palm. It was Auru! At least, a man that looked exactly like Auru, only, Gerudo. His red hair and dark skin said it all, even though the facial features and figure were exactly the same. The Gerudo Auru was even standing where Link first met the real Auru during the ball rejoicing the alliance between Hyrule and Gerudion. Sure enough, his parents were sitting on the thrones, chatting merrily with King Ganon and Queen Nabooru. Link ran up to them, curious to find out what was going on.

"Mother! Father! What happened to the castle outside? It's in ruins!" he exclaimed, using hand motions to emphasize the damage he saw.

"Son! Why worry about things like that? You should be happy that the creature with two souls is dead, it is why we're celebrating." King Alfon said happily, tipping the last bit of red wine into his mouth.

Link frowned. "The creature with two souls?" he repeated. Now he had even more questions that needed to be answered.

"Why, yes dear!" Nabooru chimed in. "This creature has been all over Hyrule, killing off the cities one by one. Only a few Hylians were left alive."

"But King Ganondorf was able to kill of the creature by his own blade. We've even made him King of Hyrule!" Queen Marin clapped her hands together excitedly, and the whole ballroom joined in applause. Marin then took a swig of wine from her own glass.

"W-What?!" Link exclaimed. "I-I thought I was supposed to be king?"

"Don't you remember?" King Ganondorf spoke for the first time. "Your fiancée died. There are no Hylian women left at all. You are not fit to run a country in the state you are in."

Link's eyes widened. "I-Ilia…..died?"

"Yes. It was most unfortunate, she was just found dead in the middle of the halls one day. No one knows the cause of it, there was no blood." King Alfon said gloomily.

Link stared at the floor. A single tear rolled down his face in Ilia's memory. It all happened so fast, Link couldn't register it. Ilia could never die. She had too much pride, and would never go down without a fight.

"But there isn't time for sadness!" Alfon cried out, taking the bottle of red wine and pouring it down his throat drunkenly. "We must celebrate the death of the creature with two souls!"

Link's fist clenched. Who was this creature with two souls anyway? How come he hadn't heard of it?

"Where exactly is the creature with two souls?" he asked slowly, trying to hold in his emotions. "I know it's dead, but where is it?"

Nabooru chuckled, almost maniacally. "Well, the two souls are in the depths of the dead. However, if you wish to see the corpse, follow my husband if you will."

At that moment, all the ballroom dancers disappeared. They just vanished into thin air. Wisps of gray air curled upwards toward the ceiling. It was eerie, and the room felt quiet.

"Follow me." King Ganon stood up and headed towards the door. Link was uncomfortable being alone with the man, but decided to go along with it.

Just before they headed out the doors, Link looked back. Both his parents had the wine bottles tipped into their mouth, then they fell to the floor. Link opened his mouth to scream, but King Ganon had already shut the door.

Within every door they passed Link felt like the castle got emptier and emptier. It seemed to get more and more demolished as he went on. When they had reached the entrance to the dungeons, there weren't any walls, just a few layers of bricks around the edges of where the walls were supposed to be. The staircase was the only thing left alone.

"Are you sure you want to see what you're about to see?" Ganon asked, almost genuinely. Link nodded, eyes fixated on the spiral staircase down.

Although there was a large dungeon, for some reason, there was only one room. The old stone brick walls and floors added a disheartened feel to it. A small window with bars to separate the outside from in was placed on the side.

A sliver glare caught Link's eye, and his eyes fell to the metal drain on the floor. Blond hair was strewn across the floor, covering most of the drain from sight. Link's face turned to shock as he found out who the hair belonged to, and who was accused of killing all of Hyrule's cities. The creature with two souls.

Zelda's eyes were closed, and one arm was crossed over her chest as the other lay lifeless on the floor. Her dress was stained with blood, and the Sheikah eye necklace was found across the room, all the way on the other side.

Link sank to his knees. _How is this possible? Zelda would never, ever try to kill anyone unless she absolutely had to. _

"You're wrong…" Link growled, lifting Zelda's inert body onto his lap. "You killed the wrong person. She didn't do it."

Link heard Ganon shift his body weight. "I'm afraid not Prince Link. Zelda is the murderer of almost an entire nation."

"No!" Link shouted, anger building up in him at dangerous speeds. "Zelda would never do something like that! She doesn't have two souls, and she would never lose in battle to someone like you!"

"I understand how much Zelda meant to you, but I-"

"You don't understand. You don't understand because _you never gave a damn about anyone other than yourself!_"

Ganondorf sighed. "I'll leave you two alone for now." he started going up the stairs.

"Bastard…" Link whispered before crying into Zelda's hair.

"I'm so sorry…" he sobbed. "I don't even know what happened, but I should've been there with you. I should've been by your side, and maybe this wouldn't have happened."

He held the lifeless girl tighter. "You shouldn't be dead. You're not a monster. Please, don't leave me now. I have no one left."

Part of his brain believed she would respond to his words. Part of him thought if he played along long enough, Zelda would wake up and say it was all a joke.

"I need you…" he said quietly, hoping this last bit would work.

* * *

"ZELDA!" he screamed.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. I'm here, don't worry."

Link sat up abruptly, finding himself back in the inn at Kakariko. Zelda next to him on his bed, trying to calm him down.

"You just had a nightmare, that's all. It's over now. Just try to-" Zelda was cut off, because Link had thrown his arms around her and hugged her close.

"Zelda…Thank the goddesses you're okay…" Link mumbled into Zelda's hair.

Puzzled, Zelda hugged him back, although it felt strange being so close to someone like that.

"Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

Link pulled away and gazed into her cobalt eyes.

"I… I don't know…" he stammered, before pulling her back to him again.

Zelda laughed awkwardly. "Um, is everything alright Link? You want to talk about it?"

"Later…" Link leaned back against the wall, dragging Zelda with him.

"Y-You sure?" Zelda asked again, now turning bright red from all of his affections. She turned even redder when Link nodded, his mouth brushing past her cheek and temples.

Zelda's heart thumped in her chest. She was sure Link could feel it, let alone hear it. He seemed to be relaxed, so whatever worked worked. Giving up, Zelda moved herself closer to Link. Noticing her, Link quickly pulled her up against his chest.

Link sighed contentedly, he now felt at ease from his dream. But one thought popped into his mind just as he was drifting asleep.

"How'd you get in here?"

"The…window was, you know, open."

"Mmhmm…" Link closed his eyes, resting his head on top of Zelda's.

* * *

**If my fluff was weird, or too corny or whatever, leave a review explaining what you liked or didn't like. I don't exactly have a boyfriend, so I can only write about what I take in from other people's fanfictions. Like I said earlier, sorry I updated so late (Doesn't it seem like I always have some excuse for being late? I really need to work on that...) Good luck to all of you in school like me, and hope you have a great year! Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Tada!**

* * *

It was a long ride home. The four monarchs had received message that the backup troops had come in, and they were able to kill off the rest of the trespassers. It was safe to come back. While his parents did most of the talking, Link could only smile meekly and nod whenever nodding was necessary. There was too much on his mind right now.

_What was I thinking? Thank Farore Zelda had left earlier in the morning, because if Ilia had come into the room to see that…_

It was true. Zelda wasn't there when he woke up, and Ilia had come in his room to wake him up, on orders from his mother. Din knows he dodged a bullet that time.

But now he had to live with the guilt of betraying his fiancée. Sure, he and Zelda hadn't done anything, but who would believe him if he revealed what happened? Betraying your wife was one of the worst things you could do as a Hylian. People believed it was the equivalent of mocking the goddesses, because it was like you weren't happy with the gift they had given you, and you thought you could get away with it. It was better to get a divorce, which was also looked down upon in Hylian culture, than to cheat. Cheating was far worse.

But when you're cheating, you have intentions of deserting the one you're tied to. You know what you're doing is wrong, and you're still ready to do it. The feelings he had towards Zelda last night were feelings of relief, not lust. Relief that she was still alive, and after his dream he had been shaken up, and needed someone to hold onto.

Yet at the same time, if it was Ilia who had crawled through the window, Link didn't think he would've had the same reaction as he did with Zelda. Nevertheless it wasn't Ilia, it was Zelda. Does it count as cheating if you don't exactly love the person you're tied to? He was supposed to be in love with Ilia, but he never said he loved her, and as far as he was concerned, he never could as a soul mate. On the other hand, he was supposed to be just friends with Zelda, but the way he teased and acted with her, you'd think they were dating. Would he choose Zelda over Ilia, if he had the chance? Would he still pick Zelda, if he were to choose right now, and the whole kingdom already had it in their heads that he loved Ilia? What did he care more about, himself or the kingdom?

If he were to pick Zelda over Ilia, would that mean he loved Zelda? Or does it mean he'd simply pick her based on suitability, not feelings.

_What is wrong with me? I'm only 18 and already I'm stuck in this situation. Why wasn't I born normal, and maybe someone more mature than me would be dealing with this state of affairs. Why am I so divided over something that's so black and white, either one or the other, but never both? There's no gray area. _

While stumbling about his thoughts, Link remembered his dream. Why had a single tear dropped when he heard Ilia had died, yet when he found Zelda's corpse he had broken down into tears? Why had his feelings of hatred toward the creature with two souls disappeared instantly when he heard it was Zelda? Shouldn't his feelings remain if she had killed off all but him and his parents?

Moreover, _why was Zelda the creature with two souls? _The visuals in a dream are usually reflective on one's past experiences or memories, either that, or the images were scenes from the future.

Link's head jolted forward when the carriage came to a quick stop. Quickly, he threw open the door, nearly hitting the footman in the face. Facing Hyrule Castle, Link found it to be rather untouched. The stone walls hadn't changed one bit, the rectangular bricks still perfectly in place. However, the flag or Hyrule had been ripped, and was only hanging by a thread. The only image still visible on the flag was the top Triforce piece, the one that represented the Triforce of Power.

Inside the castle was where the damage had been done. Canvases of past rulers had been torn down the middle, and chair cushions had been shredded, their blood-stained cotton scattered around them. The white marble floors of the ballroom were coated with dried blood stains. It would take hours to get the whole thing cleaned up. Various workers and servants were still cleaning up, stuffing corpses into black body bags. Others were gathering the broken shards of glass and trash lying about.

"Link, we must go on. We can look more at the damage later. As of right now, we should get a general idea of how much damage was done." Queen Marin placed her hand on his shoulder, slightly pushing him to go.

"Right…" Link mumbled, allowing his mother to guide him throughout the halls he thought he knew so well. The destruction done bared a strong resemblance to the ruins of the castle in his dreams, but his dream castle had been far worse. With every step he took, the chandeliers above him creaked dangerously. Link noticed Ilia was standing as close as she could to the walls, away from the large glass ornaments. Poor girl, chandeliers must scare the daylights out of her now.

* * *

After reviewing the rest of the castle, Link was allowed sometime for himself. Wandering around the corridors, he found himself entranced by one painting that hadn't been ruined. It was a painting of the Goddesses Hylia's reincarnation and the first Hero, standing in front of an ancient temple. In the top left corner, an image of Fi's top-half looked down upon the fated pair, while in the top right corner, the demon warlord Ghiraham had his back turned to the painting, his arms crossed across his chest. There were other characters, most of whom Link didn't remember so well.

"Interested?" a sly voice came from behind him.

Link whirled around, coming face to face with the one and only Impa.

"One of the few paintings in the castle that were left untouched. Most of the other, gone. It'll take a lot of money to have all them repainted. Especially the one of the Hero facing the Bearer of the Triforce of Power. That one was so messed up, you can hardly see anything."

Link's face fell. That painting was always his favorite. But then a wave of happiness swept over him. "Impa… you're alive!" he beamed happily, almost about to throw his arms around her, but caught himself just in time.

"Pfft, of course I'm alive. If you think an entire army of dim-witted monsters who all have the same attack patterns could take me down, then your faith in me must be lower than I thought."

Link smiled, thankful that the woman's snarky attitude hadn't changed. "No, it's not that, I'm just…" Link exhaled. "Grateful. For helping Zelda, Ilia, and I escape. And for protecting the castle with all your power."

Impa twirled a needle between her needles. "Don't act like it's a big deal. It's what I'm paid to do." she muttered, but inside she was pleased.

"Wait, where's Auru?" Link asked, looking around frantically.

Impa snorted. "You mean that old fart? He's traveling around Hyrule now, trying to get new recruits for the army. You know, to make up for the one's that died?"

"Oh."

"But you know…" Impa trailed off, staring into the painting. "I might not have made it if it weren't for him. He stayed by my side the whole time. It was…almost… romantic…"

Link was surprised, never had he imagined that Impa would admit something like that, to him, nonetheless.

"B-But you better not tell anyone I said that!" Impa hissed angrily. "I swear, if you do,"

Link held up his hands. "Don't worry, I won't."

Impa crossed her arms. "Good…"

"Speaking of which, have you seen Zelda or Ilia?"

Impa smirked. "I love how you put Zelda before Ilia."

"Fine then, Ilia or Zelda." he repeated, glaring.

Impa chuckled darkly, the caught herself and straightened her posture. "Ilia's actually leaving tonight for a trip to Ordon. Visiting family and stuff. Zelda, on the other hand, I have no idea. But she goes to her room at around 9:00ish, so you can probably find her then.

Link thought for a moment, an idea formulating in his head. "Okay…" he stated hesitantly. "Thanks…"

Link sidestepped Impa and headed down the halls. Suspicious, but as always slightly amused, Impa shook her head and sank back into the shadows.

* * *

It was now 10:00. Zelda should most definitely be in bed by now. Ilia had left hours ago. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Dressed in a dark green tunic and comfortable pants, Link opened the doors to his balcony. Marble columns held up the handrail, while vines coated the walls surrounding it. A cold breeze swept past him, creating goose bumps on his arms.

The plan was simple, yet so many things could go wrong. Before, Link had prayed to his patron goddess Farore, so that all may work out well.

Gingerly, Link tugged on one of the various vines that coated the castle wall. Seemed strong enough. But could he be sure? Placing one foot on the handrail of the balcony, Link lifted himself so he was standing on top of it. _Here goes nothing. _Holding the vines tightly in his hands, Link swung himself over the balcony so he was hanging off the wall.

At first, Link couldn't find his footing. He took a deep breath and tried not to look down, knowing it would only make things worse. Luckily, Link was able to find a good place to hold on to, and he began climbing to the left.

It was a weird experience for Link. The feeling of freedom, just by sneaking out in the middle of the night, it felt good. Something that made him smile on the inside. At the same, he felt constricted, due to the possibility of falling to his death with one wrong move.

After climbing a good distance, Link reached the window he was looking for, Zelda's window. Peering inside, he saw the door slam in Zelda's face. Zelda stood there for a moment, shaking slightly. As quietly as possible, Link opened the window, then slipped inside. Being on the ground was much better than on unstable vines.

Zelda still didn't notice him, which was odd. So, Link took the opportunity to surprise her.

He stood directly behind her, then placed his hands over her eyes. "Guess who." he asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"L-Link?" Zelda guessed, removing his hands with her own and twisting so she could face him.

Link grinned at her bewildered expression. "Yes?"

"H-How, how did you…"

"The window was, you know, open." he replied, using the same excuse Zelda did the night before.

"Right…" she trailed off, staring at the window. "Well, what did you come here for?" she questioned, tilting her head.

"W-Well…" To be honest, Link didn't expect to get this far in his plan. Now was not the time to screw up. "C-Can we sit over there?" he asked, motioning towards the bed.

"Sure…" Zelda answered, and allowed Link to lead her.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"What do you see me as?"

Zelda furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Link stared at his lap, looking for an answer. "Like, what do you consider me to be? What am I to you?"

"What…you are…to me?" Zelda repeated.

"Yeah…" Link responded.

"…why?"

"Cause…you know…we kind of slept together…not like that!" Link exclaimed, noticing her change of expression when he said that. "And you know… you weren't really protesting… I mean… I thought you hated me, or at least, hated when I got all close to you… and stuff…"

"Well…" Zelda began, fiddling with her necklace. "I see you as a born leader. You care a lot for everyone, even those who died by your own sword. You're also courageous, positive, and you seem to have a desire for freedom, freedom that you can never fully obtain due to duties. However, you put others needs before yourself, in this case, that would be your parents and your subjects, and that's why you listen to what you're told to do if it helps the kingdom. It's hard for me to follow the same philosophy, but I think you've taught me a lot in the time we spent together. I admire you."

Link was pleased to hear she thought so highly of him, but that wasn't the answer he was looking for. "Thank you. That really means a lot to me." he said, taking both her hands. "What I meant was, how deep is our friendship, if there is any, from your point of view?"

Zelda sucked in her breath, blushing at the contact but also from the pressure she was receiving. "I… it's complicated." she said at last, ducking her head shyly. "Technically, you are still my master, and I still am your slave. But…"

Link held her hands tighter, anticipating the response she would give.

"...I see you as my friend nevertheless and…and…I want to stay with you…forever…" Zelda's head lifted up, her eyes glistening.

Link was also shocked at hearing her statement. "Zelda…I…"

But Zelda pulled back, wrapping her arms around her chest tightly. "I know, I know! My feeling will never be recruited. And I would never betray Miss Ilia like that! And… I want you to be happy, because you taught me to be happy, not just with life, but with myself…"

Zelda's words stung Link like needles. As much as she tried to sound calm and controlled, Link could tell she was on the verge of breaking down. She spoke with such passion, but she was level-headed, and recognized the reality of the situation. Only she didn't, because there was one little problem that could totally change the way she's thinking.

"And if Miss Ilia makes you happy, then who am I to stop that? What kind of friend would I be then?" Zelda said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "I love you, Link, but you are my friend first, and I base my choices on that before anything else."

"Zelda, stop. Please…" Link said at last, grasping her shoulders. "I don't love Ilia. Not the way you think. I only see her as friend."

Zelda met his gaze, looking slightly insulted. "Link. Don't pretend like you don't have feelings for her. Why else would you've agreed to the marriage?"

Link shook his head. "No, no, no. You don't understand… I didn't have a choice; I didn't know it was planned…"

Zelda still didn't look convinced.

"Zelda…please… you have to believe me when I say that. I don't love Ilia." Link was practically begging now, beginning to tear up as well.

Zelda shut her eyes. "What difference does it make if you don't love me…?"

Link smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. _How can someone be this thick-headed when it comes to these things?_

Link stood up, pulling Zelda up with him. Before she had the chance to react, Link kissed her.

Zelda's eyes widened, but she couldn't pull back because of the strong arm he had around her waist. The air felt thick and heavy, and as Link further deepened the kiss, so did the warmth that surrounded her. It kept pressing down on her, she felt small and trapped, but it was a good feeling, one she never had before. Slowly, her eyes drifted shut.

Link pulled away first, but still kept their foreheads touching. He stared into her eyes, now confused and hazy as ever.

Link smirked. "You know you look cute when you don't know what's going on." he commented, running his fingers through her hair.

Zelda blush grew darker, but she giggled nervously and managed a "thanks…"

She looked at him sadly though. "It'll never work."

Link gave her a you-should-know-look. "We'll make it work."

"You're getting married in a few months."

"So we'll enjoy the time we have."

"What's the point in starting something if it's just going to end?"

"What's the point of breathing of you're just going to die?"

Zelda stopped, knowing she had lost the argument. Link smiled triumphantly. He bent her head slightly, so he could kiss her forehead.

"But no matter what," he said, lips brushing her skin. "I'll still be your friend first."

He then kissed her on the mouth again. "And your lover second."

Zelda smiled meekly. The blood was still rushing to her head, and she probably looked as red as a tomato. What a horrible way to look on your first kiss.

Link ran his fingers through her hair one last time. "Meet me in the stables at 6:00 tomorrow morning?" he asked, wrapping a strand of her hair around his finger.

"O-Okay…" the Sheikah replied, sounding dazed.

As much as Link wanted to tease her more, it was getting late. "Alright… I have to go…" he said, walking towards the window. Zelda followed him there, opening it for him.

"Be careful…" she warned, observing the thin vines.

Link chuckled. "I'd worry more about yourself…" he said, noticing her knees were wobbly. "Geez, if I had known I could do this to a girl, I would've kissed you a lot sooner!" he grinned mischievously. Zelda's expression turned to one of anger.

"Shut up!" she laughed. "It's way past your bedtime! No wonder you're acting so reckless."

"Ahh, but the great Sheikah warrior loves it…" he drawled in his fake voice again. "Told you the Prince of Hyrule would win her over someday."

Zelda rolled her eyes playfully. "Goodnight Link."

"Night' Zelda." Link answered. "Try not to miss me too much."

"Get over yourself." Zelda retorted, but she watched Link to make sure he made it to his balcony safely.

When he got on the balcony, he looked back to see Zelda turn away, going off to bed. He sighed, then went off to bed, with pleasant dreams for the whole night.

Perhaps there was a chance for him to fulfill his dreams, if it meant keeping Zelda happy.

* * *

**You made it! Finally, after planning out so many different variations of this scene, ever since the beginning of the series, at last I settled on one. I think this was the best one out of all, but you know...**

**It's funny, cause I listen to music while I write, and for this chapter (more like the kissing scene) I had the perfect song to listen to, except I forgot what it was called, but I was able to find it on one of my playlists on Youtube. I feel proud of myself. I was able to write a fluffy scene without going "Yeah, no, that just sounds ridiculous." Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I never thought I'd be able to say this, but we hit over 10,000 views! Thank you all so much! I didn't expect this story to make it this far (what with all my untimely updates and awkward scenes) but it did! Special thanks to those who supported me the whole way and each and every one of you who clicked that review button or "follow author" button. Even those of you who clicked on "Whatever It Takes" because it showed up in your search and read it up until you found out I made Ilia an antagonist and closed your internet browser, never to read it again, I appreciate it (Don't worry, in one of the next stories I plan to make Ilia won't have such a horrible role. Hang in there Ilia fans ^^) Enjoy!**

* * *

Zelda slowly opened her eyes. The sun was shining through the flimsy curtains of her small window, but it hardly mattered right now. The thoughts of last night made Zelda blush profoundly. It was a lot easier confessing than she thought it would be, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest.

For once, Zelda stopped in front of the window to check her reflection. Normally, she couldn't really care less about how she looked, because if my midday her appearance was bound to get messed up anyway. But things were different. Now, she had to do her part in keeping Link happy, and if that meant looking nice every day, then that's what she would do.

Threading her fingers through her hair, Zelda gently straightened out her bright, golden hair. She didn't have a comb, but fingers worked just as well. Once her hair looked sufficient enough, using the hair ribbons she kept since the first day she came to Hyrule, Zelda tied two braids to frame the sides of her face. Dressing wasn't that difficult of a task, but she suddenly felt more self-conscious about the various wrinkles and blood stains that never washed away. _Oh well. Link loves you the way you are._

A knock at the door caused Zelda to jump. Quickly adjusting her bangs once more in her makeshift mirror, the excited teen opened the door, expecting the man she loved and cared for. Instead, her face turned stone-hard, like it always was before she came here.

* * *

Link excitedly walked down the hallway, almost skipping, despite the somewhat dreary atmosphere of the servant quarters, even without the damage from the invasion. Link was well aware of the predicament he was in, being engaged to Ilia, but after spending all night thinking about it, he came to the conclusion that he should just enjoy every moment with Zelda, because if the world were to end tomorrow, the last thing one wants is regrets.

At the corner, Link stopped after hearing voices. He pressed himself against the wall, listening closely.

"_How soon, would you say, could we put our plan into action?"_

"_I'd say two months at most, a few weeks at least."_

"_Excellent. And you know what the next step is after that, right?"_

"…"

"_Answer me."_

"_Yes."_

"_You know what the consequences are in the case of failure, do you not? Don't let your feelings get in the way of the mission at hand."_

"_But…"_

"_You will have to choose who is more important to you, my dear. That is all."_

Link swiftly ducked behind a suit of armor as King Ganondorf and Queen Nabooru walked past him. The king had a rather angry look on his face, while Nabooru seemed to be distressed.

Once they were gone, Link continued down the halls until he reached Zelda's door.

_Knock, knock._

Zelda opened the door. Her face immediately lit up when she saw him.

"Link!"

"Hey." He greeted her with a small kiss. "I figured today would be a good day to, y'know, sort things out."

Zelda's brow furrowed for a split-second. "Okay. Is there something wrong?"

"No, no, no, I mean, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page here. I was kind of abrupt last night, and I didn't really go further into how this sort of relationship would work." Link responded quickly.

Zelda glanced down both sides of the hall. "Should we go somewhere a little more, private?"

"Sure." Link took Zelda's hand, leading her through the castle, avoiding the more obvious routes, until they reached the stables.

"Wasn't this the first place you showed me when I first got here?" Zelda sighed, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

Link smiled, recalling the memory too. "Technically I showed you the gardens first, but yeah. Seems so long ago, doesn't it?" he said, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Time flies by faster than you think."

"Did you know I made a promise to myself to make you come out of your shell the day we met?"

Color rushed to Zelda's cheeks, but she ducked her head to hide it. Link seemed completely open with the fact that they had feelings for each other, so there was no reason why she should feel embarrassed. "R-Really?"

Link grinned. "Yup. I had a feeling there was more to your quiet appearance. There was something different about you, and I wanted to find out. And I did, didn't I?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Don't go acting all proud of yourself! The only reason why I talked was cause' you caught me singing when I thought I was all alone!"

Link stared at her knowingly. "You could've acted like nothing happened."

Zelda glared back. "We all know with your pushy attitude that wouldn't have worked."

The prince smirked. "Zelda's blushing…" he sang out.

Zelda's face turned even redder. "Shut up!"

Link chucked before turning serious again. "Alright, now for business. Since this is kind of like 'forbidden' or 'illegal' love, we have to watch our step and not make it look suspicious."

"Right." Zelda agreed.

"So," Link began. "We'll have time together only three days a week during the day. The rest of the visits will be at night."

"But," Zelda interrupted, "If we already spent time together seven days a week before the invasion, won't it look weird if we started seeing each other less?"

Link looked confused.

"If we spent less time together when people know we're already really close, it'll look like we're planning something and don't want people to think we're doing anything, unless one of us has a good excuse." Zelda elaborated further on the subject.

"That's true. What if I say I'm busy with wedding plans and you're busy with work? Maybe I could give you a few extra jobs?"

"That'll work."

"They won't be difficult jobs, nothing hard or anything." Link tried to explain.

Zelda giggled. "Don't worry; I'm not concerned over having to do the jobs of an actual slave. I'm surprised people didn't suspect something from the beginning."

"Okay. Next thing, what do we plan on doing once December rolls around?"

Zelda's face fell. "I don't know. It wouldn't look good for your image to have a mistress."

"Yeah, but I don't want to shut you out completely. Even if we just enjoyed what little time we have now, I'd still feel bad for leaving you in the cold." Link argued.

"You have to do what's best for your kingdom Link."

"I know, but…" Link thought for a moment. "What if I were to, how should I put this, release you?"

Zelda frowned. "What do you mean?"

"After Ilia and I…" Link swallowed. "_Become entitled to each other_, I was thinking I could free you as a slave. You could regain citizenship and start a new life for yourself."

There was a tense period of silence.

"But I don't want to leave here." Zelda protested in a small voice. "I don't mind working as a slave for the rest of my life if it means I still get to see you."

"My life is already chained down by duties." Link stated. "I don't want your life to be chained down by me. I can't be the one holding you back. You're better off living on your own. Maybe you'll even meet someone else who can care for you better than I do."

Zelda managed a small smile. "I don't think that's possible. Besides, who'd be here to take care of _you_? Especially when your best friend pushes you off a building and you need to land safely in a river a few meters away."

Link stuck his tongue out at her. "Yeah, yeah, I wasn't prepared that time. I can jump off a building in my sleep. It's the swimming part that gets me."

"Right…"

"But anyways," Link said, steering the conversation back on track, "I want to set you free Zelda. I'm not doing it out of guilt or because I don't need you around. I'm doing it because I want you to have your own life. To start over."

Zelda sighed. "As you wish." she said sadly.

"In the meantime though…" Link leaned in close. "We can savor every moment we have together. How about we start now?"

Zelda rolled her eyes, but leaned in and kissed back.

* * *

**There was a hurricane in my area these past few days. They cancelled school on Monday, Tuesday, today, and possibly even Thursday and Friday. I was so bored. See, until they get the MTA running again, which means they need the electricity running and the flood water drained, they can't have school because a lot of students depend on public transportation to get around. Wind was blowing like crazy and in other parts, there was severe flooding. Thankfully my house wasn't damaged really, but I feel really bad for the people who were affected by it. God bless them all. If you were one of the people who lost property or even family members due to Sandy, feel free to talk to me sometime. Happy Halloween and thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey Zelda, you never really talk about your past a lot. I think I asked you this before, but what was it like traveling Hyrule?" Link asked. The two were sitting in the grass, leaning against the one tree that stood firmly on top of the hill, close to where the barn was.

Zelda turned towards him. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just, you know I love you, but I feel like I only love half of you. I want to know more about you."

Zelda laughed and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Well, that's sweet. Okay, I'll tell you. But there's a lot to tell, so where should I start?"

Link grinned. "From the beginning."

Zelda rolled her eyes and began. "Directly after Sheik and I escaped the village…"

* * *

Sheik placed his hands on my shoulders.

"I'm going to teach you how to fight properly. In order for us to find the golden eye necklace, we'll have to travel far across Hyrule, and I'll tell you right now, it won't be easy. There will be many that stand in our way, especially with feelings of hatred hovering around from the Great War.

I swayed my arms side to side, just like a child. "But you'll be here with me! You can fight anyone Sheik-sama!"

Sheik smiled, but at the time I couldn't see the sadness in his eyes. "I would feel much safer with you fighting at my side Zelda. Besides, we have to keep up your studies from school, right?"

"Y-Yeah! Um, thank you!" I bowed down out of respect. Even though he was my brother, I always saw him as an almost godlike figure. Such a complement meant the world to me.

"You definitely have what it takes to become a great warrior. But you'll have to commit yourself to it. Only if you desire power will you obtain it." Sheik said sternly.

Truly, I only wanted to become like my brother. If he was a medical healer, then I would be too. If he was a soldier, then I would be too.

"All I want is to be like you…" I answered, staring at the ground.

Sheik chuckled. "You really admire your brother, don't you?" he teased, ruffling my hair and walking off.

I knew he was poking fun at me, and I gaped in protest. "Of course I do! Everyone in the village respects you! You're the greatest Sheikah in the past 1,000 years!"

"And you don't think I have faults?" he asked, stopping.

I paused. "I can't imagine you having any."

Sheik grinned at me, the same grin I saw him use on several girls when hanging out with his friends. "You're cute, you know that?"

I found myself blushing. "W-Wha… um… sure… well…"

"Anyways, we gotta get going. Ready?" Just like that, Sheik changed the tone of the conversation, leaving me hung over on his last comment while he acted like nothing happened.

I stumbled and ran to catch up with him. "Where are we going first?"

"To Zora's Domain. We have to lay low for a while, and the Zoras are on good terms with the Sheikahs. They'll let us hang there for a while."

Sheik broke off into a sprint, with a speed that could only be achieved through extreme training. (Think of the way Naruto runs. Yeah, that kind of run.)

"W-Wait up!" I called out, before breaking off into a mediocre dash of my own.

* * *

It didn't take a while for us to get there. I'm sure if I wasn't tagging along, Sheik could've made it in a day and a half, but it took us five days.

I hid behind a stone column as Sheik talked with the King Zora, Queen Rutela, Princess Ruto, and Prince Ralis. The princess herself had a rather dreamy look on her face, nodding whenever her father asked her a question, and I think I heard her squeak when Sheik addressed her personally.

I nearly jumped when I heard Sheik mention my name. "…I also have my little sister with me. Zelda, will you come over here?"

Shyly, I stood next to Sheik, pretending to be interested in the bluish colored rock of the throne room.

"Zelda, say hi." Sheik nudged me forward.

My breath hitched in my throat. I didn't want to say the wrong thing and risk us getting rejected. "Um, it's an honor to meet you, your majesties! Please, I ask that you consider us staying here while I learn how to defend myself!" I bowed quickly, saying the whole line in one breath.

Queen Rutela giggled. "You needn't be so nervous dear. The matter's already been decided. We've decided to allow you two to stay. The Zoras owe the Sheikah when they fought alongside us during the Great War."

I tugged on Sheik's sleeve. "Really?"

"Yeah. Princess Ruto and Prince Ralis will bring you to your room. I still have a few things to discuss with the royals."

"T-Thank you so much!" I waved back at them before following the Zora siblings.

The two whispered amongst themselves, occasionally looking back to ensure I was following them. The long hallways reminded me of a palace, except, on one side of the path, there was rock, and the other side was water. At last, Princess Ruto stopped in front of one offshoot from the hallway. I peeked inside, taking in the ocean-like features.

In the middle of the room was a piece of rock, where all the furniture was placed on. Water surrounded it, and you needed to cross a bridge to get in. There was a large clamshell, with some sort of pink material being used as a mattress, as a bed. Torches were lit along the walls, directly above the water. A portrait of the Zora Royal Family hung above the door.

"Well, here's your room!" Princess Ruto said. Her voice sounded light and airy. "We'll be all the way down the hall if you need us! That's where our rooms are!"

"The water here is eight feet deep," Prince Ralis chimed in. He was much more quiet compared to his sister. "If you fall in, scream for help."

"Thanks, but…" I smiled, trying to calm my nerves. This was extremely important to my brother, finding this necklace or whatever, and I didn't want to mess it up. "I don't think I'll need it. I learned to swim last year."

Prince Ralis's eyes widened. Princess Ruto looked shocked as well. "Really? Most Hylians don't consider swimming all that important, specifically to girls."

I held out my Sheikah necklace, the same silver one every Sheikah child receives at their naming ceremony. "But I'm not Hylian. See this? It's the Sheikah eye. My brother told me it's the eye of an ancient spirit that watches over the bearer. Sheikahs also believe in teaching everyone how to fight, even women, since the Great Impa was a woman as well."

"It's almost like coral earrings to Zoras, right Ruto?" Prince Ralis turned toward his sister, who had disappeared. "Argh, she left. Probably to flirt with your brother. I can tell she likes him."

I made a face. "Ew! I had to deal with this sort of thing all the time in my village, and now here too-" I stopped. The village.

"Prince Ralis, did my brother say anything about the village? Do you know what happened?"

Prince Ralis looked uneasy. "N-no… he didn't. You can call me Ralis by the way."

I hesitated. "Oh, okay."

"A-Anyway! I think I'm supposed to let you rest now. S-See you tomorrow?" Ralis's blue cheeks had an unusual pink tint to them, sort of like what the girls who would crowd around Sheik back home would have. Some even had their entire face turn red. It was really weird.

* * *

Years went by, and it wasn't long till Sheik and I became accustomed to living amongst the Zoras. Sheik began our training the day I felt 100%, despite his protests. We trained every day in Sheik's room (which, by the way, was much larger than mine), working on each of the skills needed for combat.

"There are five basic factors that determine a warrior's strength." Sheik told me during one training session. "Can you take a guess to what they are, and what this can mean about a fighter?"

Now ten years old, I pondered my thoughts for a moment, then answered. "Attack, defense, speed…" I paused. "technique… and…and…"

"Can't remember?" Sheik had a gentle look on his face.

"Y-Yeah…" I turned away, embarrassed.

When I looked up, I saw Sheik motioning me to come over. I ran over as fast as I could.

Just as I would've been able to jump into his arms, Sheik moved swiftly to the side, causing me to fall down.

"Ow! Hey, what was that-" I immediately started laughing as Sheik jabbed his fingers into my sides.

"Gotcha." I could tell he was feeling proud of himself, even with my back to him.

Commencing my idea just as I was picturing it in my head, I flipped myself and sprung off the ground, using Sheik's wrists as leverage, launching a kick to his face. Sheik quickly lifted his hands to catch both my feet, but I already began to throw a punch at his face. All it took was Sheik to move his head slightly to the side to dodge it. I wasn't about to give up yet though.

Forcing myself to the ground, I continued throwing various punches and kicks to my older brother. I didn't care that he was still two heads taller than me. Stretching my legs as far as they could, I performed a perfect 170-degree round kick, where the leg was bent enough to hit something but nevertheless still high. Sheik avoided every one of my attacks. After a while, I was exhausted. I backed away, breathing heavily.

"Not bad Zelda. Not bad at all…" Sheik was still smirking, but it wasn't his smile I was worried about.

Sheik had his Sheikah eyes activated. Sheik didn't activate his Sheikah eyes unless he thought he was up against a real threat, where he could use its ocular abilities to see the battle in a new light.

Sheik had used his most trusted weapon, against me! His little tag-along sister!

"The last skill is spirit, Zelda. No matter how weak a warrior might be, with spirit, he would have a better chance than a warrior who had none. If you believe in yourself, in your cause, in those you care about, then your body naturally pushes itself to do better. And you, little sis…" Sheik came over and ruffled my hair. "You got a lot of spirit."

Sheik waited a while, letting it sink in. "Anyway," he said abruptly; doing as he always did, changing the topic just as you were still thinking about it. "Go get yourself ready. We're having dinner with all the castle officials."

"S-Sure…" I walked toward my room, dazed.

I took a quick bath, and then moved towards combing my hair. It had grown long, spreading past my shoulders. I had acquired some more womanly features, which I was not too pleased about. Though the difference wasn't significant, they hindered my speed. Putting on the new clothes Princess Ruto gave me, a laced-back teal tank top and a darker blue skirt, I felt so different from the girl I was when I first came here.

_Din, damn it._ Lace-back tops were so annoying. They were nearly impossible to put on by yourself. Opening my bedroom door to call for Princess Ruto for help, I was surprised and a bit embarrassed to see Ralis waiting by the door.

"O-Oh, Zelda! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to barge in," I saw Ralis's eyes flicker once down my figure before returning to my face, which made me shrink back a bit. "I-I was told to escort you to the dinner, y'know, when you're ready and all…"

"I-It's fine…" I said, equally as uncomfortable as he was. "I was just gonna ask your sister for help with this-" I gestured to my shirt, attempting to laugh it off.

Ralis looked intrigued. "I can help if you want."

This, I felt weird about. While Ralis and I grew to become close friends over the years, he would sometimes get embarrassed if I complimented him on something. He also stuttered a lot. But if I were to decline, it would be rude, almost, as if I didn't trust him.

"I-If you don't mind." I led him inside in front of my stand up mirror the Queen installed.

"This, here." I lifted my hair up to reveal the lace of the shirt. It was like the pattern on boots, crossed over and over, then tied into a knot at the top. This left the part with the lace completely uncovered, and that's why I would've preferred a girl like Ruto to fix it.

Carefully, Ralis tied up the top. I tapped my foot, feeling a bit impatient. He was going slower than he should, and we both knew it. Silence hung over the room.

"You look beautiful."

Heat flooded my face. "Um, thanks." I replied back quickly, staring down to avoid making eye contact through the mirror.

"But it doesn't matter, you know. I think you look beautiful every day." Ralis moved closer as I felt the shirt tighten up. _Almost done, almost done…_

Blue fins encircled my waist. I shut my eyes, wishing for it all to be over. That it was only a dream, and I'd wake up on my bed, finding out I had fallen asleep after training. I didn't want it to be like this. He was obviously making advances on me, and I couldn't return those advances. Turning him down might cause the Zora Family to kick us out, and I couldn't do that to Sheik. We'd have to find another place to stay and train. I couldn't put that stress on Sheik. So I just stood there, letting Ralis rest his head on my shoulder.

"Is something wrong, Zelda?" _Nayru, help me now. _His breath brushed past my lips. The words "ABORT! ABORT!" rang throughout my head. I felt so constricted to move, never was I this close to someone other than when Sheik hugged me on a rare occasion.

"How about it Zelda? You and I, together." There was no stutter in his voice. He spoke with true confidence, something I had never seen in him before.

Moving my head slightly away, I tried to speak. "I…"

"Prince Ralis! Miss Zelda!" I jumped away, taking this escape for all it was worth. "There's a serious emergency! Prince Ralis, you must join with your family, we are taking you guys to a hidden place. Zelda, you are going with Sheik. Gather whatever you can, because I doubt you two can come back. Let's go!"

Another Zora guard came in, ready to take Ralis away. He looked deeply hurt, he knew we wouldn't see each other again.

"Zelda…"

I met his eyes, wishing I could share the same pain he had. Heartbreak. Unfortunately, I couldn't.

"Take care of yourself..." Ralis turned away. He walked outside, and that was the last I saw of him.

"Miss Zelda, we must hurry." The guard nudged me toward my stuff. I just took my leather bag, pre-packed with supplies for emergencies such as these. I also grabbed my comb and a shell necklace Ralis gave me once. Back when I thought hearts symbolized friendship. Now, I felt bad for hurting him for so long.

Throwing my cloak over my shoulders, I followed the Zora guard down the various hallways to a secret, underground pier. Waiting by a canoe was Sheik, looking relieved when I showed up.

"We wish you the safest of journeys. Just know, you are always welcome to our kingdom."

"Thanks. We can never repay you for your hospitality. Send my regards to the king." Sheik replied calmly.

"Yes, sir." The Zora, surprisingly, jumped into the water and began pushing our boat. Once we were far enough, the Zora turned back, and Sheik took over with his paddle.

"Hang on Zelda."

I looked back to see the Zora climbing out of the water, then immediately fighting a man with dark, tanned skin. "Sheik, what's going on?"

Sheik sighed. "Nothing Zelda. We have to keep going. Use the other paddle and help me."

I glared, frustrated him, possibly for the first time in my life. Like, actual, legit frustration. He never told me what happened to our Hidden Village that day, and now this. _When was he going to include me in the loop?_

I jolted as bombs pelted at us from both sides. "Faster!" Sheik yelled, and I paddled as fast as my arms would let me.

* * *

**Thank you all for being so patient! After my 3 month mental break, I finally had the motivation to finish this chapter! It's kind of like one of those things where you're not in the mood to do something, but once you start, it becomes fun again and you get all into it. Well, that's what happened to me. Also, I've been trying to catch up with Naruto Shippuden. I started super late, so I'm around episode 173 or so. It's kind of hard to handle FanFiction and anime at once. Once I get into one, I can't do the other as efficiently. However, since I'm getting closer to my goal in Naruto I can rest easy again. (Keep in mind, this is my definition of closer) Sheik reminds me of Itatchi, except, he didn't stage the raid on the Hidden Village, so yeah. Backstories are fun. It was a last minute decision to make Ralis in love with Zelda. Since the whole concept is awkward in itself, try to make him a little more attractive looking in your head, and then it seems a bit more interesting. I am by no means a shipper of Zelda and Ralis. That was just added in for fun. Zelda is adorable when she's little. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

**It's Malon time!**

* * *

"We never actually went back to Zora's Domain. Instead, we (or rather, Sheik) had chosen to travel around the rest of Hyrule until we found a more permanent place to stay. While doing so, Sheik continued my physical training, but also began training in magic, something only advanced students would learn back in the village~"

* * *

"Magic? As in, Sheikah magic?"

"Yup. Today's your eleventh birthday, isn't it? I thought I'd give you something that'd last a lifetime, lessons in Sheikah magic. Though, if you're really good, I can even show you some stuff I learned from other races." Sheik replied.

It was seven years since we left the village. I had nearly mastered every aspect of physical martial arts, though nowhere near as close as my eighteen year old brother. He had continued his training as well, and from our spars against one another, I could probably never beat him. Learning magic, however, would bring me closer to achieving that goal, even if only by a little bit.

"So, whataya say Zel?" As if he needed to ask.

"Yes! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you so much Sheik!" I threw my arms around him, causing him to stumble a bit.

I suddenly remembered my place, and took a few steps back. "S-Sorry…"

Sheik smiled, and messed up my hair. "It's fine. Start by activating your Sheikah eyes."

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and relaxed. Sheikah children are able to activate their eyes as soon as they are seven years of age, though it took me about a year longer, shamefully. Sheik said it was because instructors typically give their students a potion to loosen up their energy flow so it can be maneuvered easily, so most students are able to learn it by then. Either way, it still took me more concentration to activate my Sheikah eyes then it normally does, which I considered a sign of weakness.

Channeling my energy while imagining myself seeing the world through Sheikah eyes, I felt my vision changing as I became more aware of my surroundings. When I opened my eyes, judging by Sheik's expression I had activated my Sheikah eyes.

"Nice work. That was faster than the last time." I noticed his eyes were already activated. All he had to do was blink, and his gray eyes would be a deep crimson. "The first thing we're going to work on is lengthening your vision range. One of the reasons Sheikahs are so good for spy missions is that we can see the enemy way before they see us. Increasing your vision will also make learning all the other things you can do with your Sheikah eyes much easier, such as magnifying."

"So, how do we go about this? You can't just lengthen your field of vision, just like that."

Sheik chuckled. "It's actually kind of risky. I'm going to attack you out of your range, and you'll have to dodge. Eventually, your eyes will adapt to dealing with attacks from that distance, and your vision range will slowly increase. Almost like training a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets."

"Okay." I didn't know how this was going to go, but I wasn't about to give up before trying.

"I'm going to walk away from you, tell me when you can't see me anymore. Throw a needle into the air when you're ready. I'll be able to see. Send up a second needle, and I'll move back even farther. I want to get you to see up to around eight kilometers." From the corner of my eye, I could see Sheik running further and further away. It became harder and harder to see through the landscape, as Hyrule Field is known for its hills. After around ten minutes, when he was about three kilometers away, I couldn't see him anymore.

Reaching into my pouch, I pulled out a thin Sheikah needle. How Sheik was able to see this from so far away, I would never know. I sent it into the air, watching as the sunlight reflected off its sturdy metal.

Mentally preparing myself, I presumed a battle stance, ready for an attack at all sides. Knowing Sheik, he would love to catch me off guard with an attack from the front when I was expecting the back. Sure enough, a throwing knife sped toward me at my three o'clock. Lifting my own knife, I blocked it easily. Nearly forty-five seconds later, an arrow came from behind. Rushing, I flipped around and knocked it away. Another arrow came from my right. This training was harder than I thought.

Suddenly, a barrage of needles came from above. I grabbed a rather large arrow coming my way and used it to deflect the needles to the best of my ability.

"Ow!" I clutched my arm, quickly yanking the embedded needle out of my skin. Sheik must be using his magic to create weapon fire. Not even Sheik attack from one side and attack from another nearly a second later. I knew that if Sheik kept this up, I would be finished in no time. Not only did I need to see the attacks in advance, but I needed a way to defend myself from all sides.

While contemplating a better battle strategy, I began to evade Sheik's weapons rather than deflecting them, which took much more precision and time. Each time I dodged, the weapon would disappear, as opposed to continuing to fly. If I knocked the weapon away though, it would just fall to the ground.

As time went on, Sheik's attacks grew more and more fierce. However, it became easier and easier to notice the attacks, which helped a lot. Eventually, I could see Sheik's face, and just as I expected, he was using magic to spawn the weapons. I threw a needle into the air, signifying my improvements. Sheik grinned, and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled in return, and motioned for him to move backwards.

It wasn't until sunset until I was completely worn out. Cuts and blood coated my arms from the attacks I couldn't evade, though my vision had gone up by at least two meters. Deflecting one last needle, I held my hands up, showing my defeat. Sheik would get the message and head back. Then I could fix myself up and we could set up camp. Training would start first thing tomorrow.

I heard a "poof" sound in the distance. Before I knew it, thousands of tiny needles were being hurled my way, coming from all angles possible. With each second the needles traveled another kilometer. There was no way I could dodge them, since they were coming all at the same time, and ricocheting them wasn't an option, at all.

I shut my eyes. _Nayru, please, help!_

As if the Goddess of Wisdom herself had heard me, the greatest idea had come to me. I spun around quickly, expelling energy from the palms of my hands in the process. By spinning so quickly, I was able to form blue walls of energy all around. I watched as the needles simply bounced off my shield.

When the last needle fell to the ground, I collapsed onto the grass, astonished at what I had done. Staring at my hands, I realized they were slightly burnt from the sudden use of energy. Within a few weeks practice, I wouldn't get the same burning sensation again. But more importantly, how had I known to do that? I had used energy manipulation to make my weapons travel further distances, but never on such a large scale such as this.

Sheik approached me, a look of pure amazement on his face. Looking up, I suddenly felt the need to take him down.

"_FOR THE LOVE OF NAYRU SHEIK!_" I screamed, lunging towards him. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Sheik laughed as I punched and kicked him with energy enriched limbs. "Well, that's a nice thank you for pushing you to perform energy manipulation! Since when have you learned that?"

I continued my assault. "Since Zora's Domain! You don't remember teaching me?!"

"Not even close to something like this!"

I was about to take out my knife when I heard a scream from farther away. Immediately, I deactivated my Sheikah eyes in order to focus completely on the sound. It was very faint, but was still there.

Sheik stopped short, staring at me. "Something up Zelda?"

I pointed north. "I can hear screaming. Can you?"

Sheik listened. "Nope. But your sense of hearing has always been superior to mine."

I flushed slightly. The one thing I beat Sheik at was listening, but I didn't know he acknowledged my hidden talent.

"Let's go check it out!" I grabbed a couple stray weapons, shoving them into my pouch before taking off.

"But Zelda! You're still recovering from our training!" Sheik was already running after me anyway, so I had no intention to stop.

"I'll be fine! Besides," I said, activating my Sheikah eyes to scan the area, "there's no one else there to help!"

* * *

It didn't take long till we arrived at our destination: a small horse ranch. Above us, a wooden sign had some faded lettering over it. We stopped and hid behind a nearby tree.

"It says 'Lon Lon Ranch'" Sheik read aloud, knowing I couldn't read. "We should enter carefully. We don't know how strong out enemy is."

I looked around. Something caught my eye in one of the rooms. Three men were targeting one young woman, while another kept guard by the door. Two were causing havoc near the stables, and one was positioned outside the gate, watching over seven horses, most likely theirs.

"I think it's safe to assume this is a raid~" Sheik whispered. "I need you to get rid of the one right there, keeping guard. I'll tranquilize the horses so they won't get scared and make noise, but I won't kill them."

"Got it." I watched as Sheik took out seven needles, coating them each in Deku Nut dust.

"Ready?" Sheik asked, a small smirk on his face. This would be the first action Sheik would have in a while, besides our mini battles. I knew he craved more of a fight than I could offer. It would be a good way for him.

I nodded in return. At once, Sheik threw all needles, causing the horses to fall to the ground. Immediately, I took out the guard before he had the chance to notice. We patted him down for any extra weapons and or traps.

"Hmph. Some thieves they are to leave the guard unarmed. Let's roll, lil' sis."

I ran toward the stables, planning on controlling the chaos there. Sheik would be better suited for a hostage situation anyway. The heavy barn doors opened, and I ducked behind a stack of boxes as at least fifteen horses scrambled out, each one neighing frantically. Two man strolled out afterward, pleased at their work. Biting my lip, I began to realize the difficulty of the situation. Getting all horses to calm down while taking out the other two thieves was going to be tricky.

While it may not have been the best strategy, I decided to battle the two thieves first. If I won, I wouldn't have to worry about them scaring the horses over and over.

Sneaking around them, I hit one in the back of his neck, snapping his neck. I went to face the other, but he was already turned around and ready to fight.

"Oy!" he yelled. "I thought you'd be some sort of Royal Guard or some shit, but you're just a little girl!"

I clenched my fist. "This 'little girl' is going to have you at her mercy, just like your partner there."

"Oh yeah, you just reminded me! No one gets to take out one of my brothers and stay alive! You got a lot of nerve…little brat…" he hissed, drawing his sword.

I froze.

_"Little brat…" he mumbled, glaring daggers at me. "We know this is where the reincarnation lives. Tell me where he is."_

"Eh? Is that the Sheikah necklace? I knew there were rumors of the Original Sheikah's reincarnation scrambling about Hyrule, but who knew some kid survived the attack as well? You know the Reincarnation? Show me where he is, and maybe I'll let you live. His body's worth a fortune on the black market."

His body fell to the floor. I stood over him, my fingers clenched around the blade. No one was going to talk about Sheik like that.

"I'll never tell you. He'll have you dead before you see him."

Turning over my shoulder, I surveyed what was left of the ranch. Boxes were overturned, leaving the Lon Lon Milk inside spilled all over. Pots were crushed, and dust was everywhere. In the center of the ranch was a huge pen, where animals could graze.

I needed to get all the animals in there.

Now, let me tell you, Sheikahs weren't known for their horseback skills. We left that to the Hylians, preferring our own feet for traveling. In the situation, though, my best option was to get onto the back of a horse and round up the rest together. How hard could it be?

Grabbing a long rope I found lying to the side, I ran up to one horse. I could match its pace, but not for long. Tossing the rope over its shoulders, I attempted to slow it down by dragging my feet in the dirt. The horse neighed loudly and ran even faster. Stumbling a bit, I picked up my pace and jumped onto its back.

"Whoa-" I quickly clung to the horse's neck. Its hair was more slippery than I thought, Steadying myself carefully, I tried to direct the horse to go to the right.

Of course, it didn't listen. I wondered if it would've been better to just have tranquilized all of them, as Sheik had. Unfortunately, I didn't have any Deku Nut powder or anything of the sorts. This wasn't going to end well.

As if on cue, the horse started to pick up its speed. I felt dizzy, the world was whizzing by me at unimaginable speed. The wind slapped my face, and I buried my head into the horse's neck, scared for my life. The ride seemed to go on forever. I perked up, however, when the horse just so happened to run inside the pen. In fact, we seemed to be slowing down. I sighed in relief. That was horrible.

Until the horse stood on its hind legs, causing me to fall off into a puddle of mud. All I knew was, I now absolutely hated horses.

"Zelda?" I heard Sheik call my name. Crap. I could not have him see me like this. Not after all the respect I earned from him. Shyly looking over my shoulder, I saw Sheik standing with the woman I saw earlier. Now seeing her in person, she looked to be right around Sheik's age. Her long, red hair cascaded down her back, with bangs pushed to both sides of her face. She wore a white blouse, lavender skirt, and a mustard apron and shawl. The shawl was held together by a strange, golden, monster-like charm, which contrasted heavily with the rest of her appearance. Overall, she was very beautiful.

"My! Did one of those men scare all the horses? What a mess they've made!" the woman exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. Her eyes fell on me, sitting in mud. "Oh no! Are you hurt? Here, I'll help you up soon, but let's take care of all these horses first."

The woman took a deep breath, and began singing a simple melody. Simple, yet enchanting. It made you want to come and lay in the grass, listening to the song like you had nothing else to worry about but. At once, the horses stopped, and trotted over to where the woman was. When she stopped, all the horses had been gathered. Sheik ran back and shut the gate.

"There we go!" the woman smiled, stroking one of the horses.

"This is Malon." Sheik said. "She's the daughter of the owner of this ranch."

Malon gestured toward the ranch. "Those men who came here: they were searching for my father, who went to Hyrule Castle Town to sell our products. When my father first brought this land, he used some loans given to us by those men. We were able to pay off our loans, but the interest rates were so high that we still owe money to them to this day." She sighed. "Lately, business hasn't been doing so well, and we weren't able to give our monthly payments. They threatened to take back the ranch, which was what they were trying to do just now, until you guys showed up." Malon gazed up at Sheik, and I noticed a slight bit of color to her cheeks. "I can never thank you enough for that."

"N-No problem…" Sheik rubbed the back of neck. My eyes widened as I had seen the unthinkable: Sheik was embarrassed. Flustered, rather. Sheik was always calm and collected around girls. He'd always have a cool response to anything they said, never at a loss for words. So for Sheik to say something like "No problem", even stuttering in the process, it meant something in Malon struck him as attractive.

Well, like I said, she was beautiful. They would have red haired, red eyed kids running around a horse ranch, throwing Sheikah needles at each other and singing.

If Sheik liked Malon, and Malon liked Sheik, then there was no way I was going to mess that up. I felt even more self-conscious than before, I couldn't let Malon think Sheik's sister was a complete freak, because we represented our clan, though deceased.

"We should get you cleaned up. I think I have some clothes that don't fit me anymore, you can wear those." Malon held out her hand.

"Umm…" I stammered. "That's okay. I'll be fine, just a little mud, that's all."

"It's the least I can do."

I met eyes with Sheik, who nodded subtly. "O-Okay…"

Malon turned toward Sheik. "Feel free to go anywhere you'd like around here. I'll be starting dinner soon, and you guys are more than welcome to stay."

Sheik brushed the bangs out of his eyes, another gesture he used to get girls' attention. "Yeah, I guess we could… What do you think, Zelda?"

"Sure?"

Malon clapped her hand. "Then it's settled!" She placed her hands on my shoulders and directed me toward the house. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Like I said before, I don't believe Sheik is a separate person, so I don't ship Sheik with anyone. But MalonxSheik works well in the case (in my opinion, at least), and that's why I put it there. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but at the last second I decided to make it into two sections so it wouldn't be as annoying to read. Google Chrome and Norton are not cooperating, so I'm using Firefox right now. It's weird since I'm so used to Chrome's format, I keep moving my mouse in the direction where I would normally find a Chrome command. Oh well. Still got the chapter out anyway. Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

Inside, Malon filled a large tub up with water, and called me over when it was finished.

I took off my muddy clothes and left them in another tub of water Malon told me to put them in, when I felt my Sheikah necklace. Remembering how the man had reacted when he found out I was a Sheikah, I took it off and hid it in a hole in the wall. Technically, I wasn't ever supposed to take it off, but I could just retrieve it later, right?

The water felt pleasantly cool. I sunk further in, letting it reach my nose. The last time I must've taken a real bath, not one in a nearby river or something, was probably back in the Hidden Village. Malon began washing my hair, pouring water over my head.

"Um…thanks for doing this Miss Malon. It's really nice."

Malon giggled. "It's my way of showing appreciation, sweetie. Though you can just call me Malon. Your name is Zelda, right?"

I nodded.

"From what I heard, Zelda was the name of the princess who aided the Hero of Time in his journey. It's a lovely name. I think it means 'happiness', or something like that."

"Wow…" I didn't know there was so much that could lie within something as ordinary as a name. "What about your name?"

"It means 'little warrior'. Malon is a pretty common name in Hyrule, and there are many varients of it, such as Malo and Marin." Malon smiled. "Nothing too special."

I frowned. "It's a nice name."

"Thank you…"

"Hey, how do you know all this stuff about names?"

Malon handed me the soap, which I used to clean the rest of myself. "I only went to Castle Town once, but when I was there, there was this old woman selling old books from the library. One contained information about every name in Hyrule. She gave it to me for free, but I've read it a million times over! I don't know why, but I'm just fascinated with names and their meanings."

Malon started humming, the same tune she sang to call all the horses over.

"Malon, where did you learn that song? Somehow, it got all the horses to come over."

The red-headed girl giggled again. It was a pleasant sound, like a song in itself. "My mother taught me. She told me she never knew why, but horses seem to love that song."

Now, Malon was singing the song out loud.

"Where did you learn to sing like that? Your voice is really pretty."

"Thanks! My mother taught me how to sing too, but trust me, her voice was way nicer than mine."

Was? "Um… sorry if this is a bit personal, but did your mother die?"

Malon handed me a towel. "Yeah. During the war, she insisted on delivering supplies to the castle, but she never returned."

"Oh. I'm so sorry…"

"Yeah. I miss her a lot, but Father and Uncle Ingo have been so great to me, and I know she's in a happy place."

Maybe all the village members were in that same place Malon's mother was. "That's a good way of looking at things."

"It is. After all, if you think positive, things will get positive, right?"

"Y-Yeah…"

When I looked up, Malon was staring into space. Her eyes were sad, lonely. Suddenly, she shook her head and met my gaze. "Sorry! I was just thinking. Come this way," she said, taking my hands and dragging me into the next room. Biting my lip, I looked back, remembering my necklace. Oh well. I would have to get it back later. Malon handed me a long white dress with blue designs around the sleeves and the hem of the dress. These designs reminded me of those patterns you would find along temple walls.

Malon stepped back, glancing up and down my figure, before turning around to look through her drawers. "Let's see…" she muttered. "I know it's here somewhere…"

I furrowed my brow. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no, don't worry. I just thought of something that would look great with that outfit!" Malon pulled out small, thin leather belt. "Try this on. It goes right below your chest."

I did as she told. Looking back towards Malon, I let her evaluate my outfit once more.

"Perfect." she smiled. "I'll have your boots cleaned and shined by tomorrow, for now, do you mind walking barefoot?"

"I don't mind."

"Don't mention it. And stop staring at the floor silly!" She giggled as I jerked my head up, not wanting to upset her. "My eyes are up here! Anyway, I have to begin dinner so my dad and uncle don't come home to an empty table, so I'll see you around dusk. Tell your brother when you get the chance."

"Okay!"

I glanced down at the dress Malon gave me. It was nice, soft cotton. The skirt reached right below my knees, whereas the sleeves barely touched my elbows.

Looking back to check to see if she was gone, I tip-toed back to where I had left the necklace. I peered inside the hole, only to find nothing. Frantically, I pushed my finger further down the opening in the wall, but I couldn't find a bottom.

"Zelda!" I heard Sheik call from outside. Frozen in fear, I forced myself to reply.

"Yeah?" I yelled back, leaning out the window slightly.

"Come down here!"

I wanted to find my necklace, but if I told Sheik, it wouldn't be good. As much as possible, I knew Sheik wanted to preserve our heritage. Hoping Sheik wouldn't notice, I quickly ran to go meet up with him.

"So…what's up?"

Sheik ran his fingers through his hair, pacing back and forth. "I called you over because we need to discuss some things."

"Okay, like what?"

"Well, if she and her family would be willing to agree, I think it'd be best if we stay here with Malon."

I crossed my arms and smirked. "Ohhh… I see…"

"What?" Sheik narrowed his eyes, but his face was already slightly red.

"You and Malon really hit it off, didn't you? Whatever happened when you rescued her, it must've been big for you to expect her to agree to such a favor."

"Please. Wouldn't you do the same for someone who saved your life?"

I turned my back to him and shrugged. "Maybe…"

"H-Hey! You better not say anything to her about me!" Sheik hissed.

"Surely not…" I turned over my shoulder to find a fuming Sheik. This was truly amusing.

Noticing his change in behavior, Sheik took in a deep breath and sighed. "Since when did you get so big-headed anyway? Hope it wasn't because of the new power you discovered." Sheik flipped his bangs out of his face. "Don't you forget, you still got a long ways to go before you can match me."

"Hmph." I pouted, disappointed I couldn't tease him anymore.

"Anyway, I think I see Malon's father and uncle coming down. If they introduce themselves to you, be as respectful as possible, alright? We need to keep their image of us as high as possible." Sheik walked past me.

"Oh yeah…" he stopped. "Don't mention to them that we're Sheikahs."

"I figured…"

"It's just… we don't want to draw any attention to ourselves." Sheik turned towards me. "Do you remember when the village was attacked?"

This wasn't something my brother and I had brought up often. In fact, we hadn't spoken of it at all. "Sort of."

"I'm assuming you know we aren't looking for the golden eye necklace, right? Such treasures only exist in fairy tales."

"I know." I took in a shaky breath. "They were looking for you, weren't they?"

Sheik nodded. "Those Gerudo bandits… they killed off an entire clan. All for the sake of the power I have. But they weren't the first ones. Many others have tried to invade the village, especially during the Great War. For the longest time, I hated myself for it. I couldn't stand people getting hurt because of me."

I looked at him in shock. "How could you blame yourself for that? It's not your fault that you're the Reincarnation!"

Sheik gave a small smile. "I wish I had realized that just as quickly. Those bandits… they nearly killed off an entire race. You and I are the only survivors, as far as I know. The same group, most likely, invaded Zora's Domain, a place thought to have been impenetrable by ordinary humans. Whoever we're up against, they are much stronger than we could've ever imagined. And they would have no problem eliminating anyone that stands in their way. This includes you and Malon. I'm telling you because I know you can handle yourself. But as for Malon, I'd hate to have her living the rest of her life in fear. It's best if we don't mention anything to them."

"What will we tell anyone if they ask?"

"We are travelers from Ordon, a town at the heart of Hyrule's most southern province. Having been trained by multiple warriors of all races explains our extraordinary fighting skills. If they ask for any names, say they wish to remain secret to their enemies. Should they have seen or see us activating our Sheikah eyes, tell them it is merely a magic illusion, meant to confuse our opponents. Do not mention anything of the Sheikahs or the Hidden Village."

"What about Malon?" I asked. "Wouldn't you want her to know the real you at some point?"

Sheik blushed again. "Not anytime soon, that's for sure. Let's head back."

I skipped along behind him. "Whatever you say."

Dinner was delicious, but I could tell Sheik was tense. He sat up straight, smoothened out his clothes, and even took off his mask and head wraps. We sat across from Malon and her Uncle Ingo, Malon's father, Talon, being seated at the head of the table. I mostly kept my head down as Sheik talked with the others. This gave me the chance to study everyone else's body language and character.

Talon seemed to be a very warm and kind man. While eating, he told us he did a lot of charity work by donating milk to different orphanages in Hyrule. He obviously loved his daughter and farm very much, but could be on the lazy side. Like Malon, he wore the same golden monster-charm as a necklace.

Ingo, on the other hand, seemed to be inspecting Sheik and I closely. I could tell he was wary of our sudden arrival, and didn't exactly trust us yet. His eyes kept darting back and forth between Sheik and Talon whenever one spoke. When his eyes fell on me, I flinched in surprise. What I saw in his eyes were suspicion, scorn, and what I found to be most interesting, jealousy.

"Zelda, was that her name? Zelda, how old are you?" Talon suddenly asked. My eyes flicked up, meeting his blue eyes.

"Eleven, sir." I replied, putting on my best smile.

"Only eleven? You're al"ready quite the young lady." Talon turned to his daughter. "How about it, Malon? You always said you wanted a little sister growing up."

Sheik nearly spat out his drink in disbelief. Ingo looked equally as shocked.

"Wait, _what?!_" they said instantaneously.

"Ah, yes. Malon brought to my attention that you travelers have nowhere to stay. You're welcome to stay here at the Lon Lon Ranch for as long as you want?"

Sheik's eyes lit up. "Really? I mean, thank you ever so much for your generosity."

"Talon…" Ingo hissed under his breath. "We can't afford two extra human beings living here!"

"Oh, don't worry Ingo…" Talon patted his brother on the back reassuringly. "I'll have them work while they stay here. Seems like a fair deal, no?"

Sheik nodded enthusiastically. Malon smiled happily. "So, will you and your sister stay here at Lon Lon Ranch?"

"Yes!" Sheik reached out to shake hands with Talon, and then Ingo. Malon came over to give me a hug. It was warm and inviting. It brought up memories of my mom, long forgotten until now.

Then she went over to Sheik, and shyly, kissed his cheek. Talon let out a hearty laugh while I started giggling girlishly. This was going to be some stay here.

Malon and I were to sleep in the same room. The red-haired teen had asked to tie my hair up with blue ribbons that matched my dress. "What my father said was true, I've always wanted a little sister. So, I want to make this stay for you as nice as possible! It must be kind of hard living with a boy your whole life, trust me, I know."

While fixing my hair, Malon began to hum, this time, a different song than from before.

"What song is that?" I asked, attempting to look back towards her.

Malon placed her hands on both sides of my head and forced it back straight again. "It's called Zelda's Lullaby. It goes back to the adventures of the Hero of Time. The song reminds me of you, I guess you can see why." Malon chuckled.

I laughed along with her. "Does it have lyrics too?"

"Uhuh. It goes like this."

_Go to sleep, _

_Rest upon your bed,_

_May this night bring dreams to your head_

_Hear my voice,_

_Never let it die,_

_Keep this lullaby_

_Soon the sun shall set on,_

_Long it will be till dawn,_

_Never from you will I be gone_

_Carry on,_

_Rid this world of fear,_

_Now the time is near,_

_Peace will soon reign here... _

_"Zelda's Lullaby" Lyrics by twilightstorm1994_

"You try." Malon nudged me eagerly.

"W-What?" I exclaimed. "I can't sing, no doubt about that."

"Have you ever tried?" Malon inquired.

"Not really, but still."

"Give it a shot. I can even give you some pointers."

"Fine…"

Taking a long breath, I focused my mind on the melody of the song and matching my own voice to it. Allowing the air to slowly escape my lungs, I belted out the lyrics to the song. It all felt so natural, as if I had been doing this for years. It was funny, because up until now, I only focused on improving my fighting skills, nothing else. I never really thought of any other hidden talents I might have.

"That was beautiful." Malon clapped lightly, smiling as she finished tying the last ribbon. "You should sing more often."

"Thank you," I said, standing up and looking into the hand-held mirror Malon lent me. "For the compliment, and the hair-do, by the way."

All of my yellow blonde hair had been pushed behind my shoulders, save for two small sections on either side of my face, which had been tied so the ribbons formed x's all the way down. The rest of my hair was left alone, but at the very bottom, Malon repeated the same pattern with the ribbons.

"R-Really?" Malon held her hand to her cheek. "It was something I wanted to try on myself, actually, but it didn't really work out because of my bangs. But it suits you, and the dark blue brings out your eyes."

I didn't know the first thing about fashion, so I just nodded. Princess Ruto had tried to teach me once about all the different matching colors and seasons or whatever, but it just went in one ear and out the other.

"To cut to the chase, let me just skip to when we left…"

Sheik and I had spent four years at Lon Lon Ranch. During our stay, Sheik and my relationship **(Pretty sure that isn't grammatically correct)** with Malon grew. She took on a motherly role in my life, always looking out for me. Sheik had asked to court Malon only a week ago, and both Talon and Malon said yes. They planned on getting married in the winter, when the farm would be the least busy.

I had just begun taking the chickens back inside their coop when I spotted a figure off in the distance. By now, I had mastered various forms of Sheikah magic, including shadow hiding, weapon generation, energy manipulation, and had increased my range of sight up to 8 kilometers, as Sheik had planned. Activating my Sheikah eyes, I zoomed in on the figure. He wore a mask that covered his entire face, save his eyes, and a hood, so he was completely unrecognizable.

Curious, I chased the last chicken into the coop, then ducked behind it and sunk into its shadow. Immediately, I was thrown into a blank, violet dimension. Upon looking up, you would see the world as the ground would, if it had eyes. As long as a shadow is present, a Sheikah could travel an infinite distance in the Shadow Dimension, and could reappear on the surface anywhere. The only downside is, moving in the Shadow Dimension is extremely slow, not to mention you have to swim through the world.

Transferring from the shadow of one tree to another, I made it to where the figure was standing. He seemed to be mumbling to himself, but unfortunately, being in the Shadow Dimension made it impossible for me to hear him. However, if I were to speak, he would most certainly hear.

Hiding behind a nearby tree, I climbed out of the Shadow Dimension. It was risky, but I had to know more. Thankfully, he didn't see me.

Now I could listen more closely to what he was mumbling about. "Ugh…I just don't understand why we can't just start the raid now! Before the Reincarnation runs off…"

_Wait, what?!_

On impulse, I jumped out from behind the tree and knocked the man to the ground. "What the hell do you plan to do with the Reincarnation?! And what raid are you talking about?!" I spat, pressing my forearm to his neck.

The man coughed frantically, eyes darting around nervously.

"Well?!" I yelled in his face.

He pointed to the right, finger shaking feebly. He was about to die from air loss. I looked where he was pointing, keeping one eye on him, and gasped. An army of nearly a hundred was lined up about 50 meters away, waiting for orders to fight. I scrambled to my feet and ran. The man got up as well, racing to get back to his captain, whoever that was.

"Sheik!" I barged through the door, interrupting what seemed to be an argument between Ingo and Sheik. If there wasn't an entire army waiting to capture Sheik, I would've wanted to know what it was about, but there wasn't any time. "Sheik, we have to go, _now._" I grabbed his wrist and attempted to drag him to the door.

"What? Zelda, what's going on?"

"There's a huge army outside, they want to raid Lon Lon Ranch. We have to leave!"

Sheik knew I wasn't joking, so he immediately sprinted to gather as many things as he could. Using magic to levitate objects, he shoved some supplies inside his satchel and left to access the situation. I ran up to my room and did the same, only I couldn't do levitation magic yet.

When I got back down, Sheik was already waiting. "It's bad. There's too many of them, and they appear to be skilled fighters judging by their weapons."

"Sheik!"

Malon came running up to us. "Sheik, Zelda! What's going on?!"

Sheik immediately pulled her in for a kiss, knowing this very well may be his last.

"S-Sheik…" Tears formed in the corner of Malon's eyes.

"Listen." Sheik whispered, voice low and shaky, "There is an entire army that is trying to capture me. They're planning on raiding your ranch in search of me. If I leave, none of you will get hurt."

"Sheik, I can't live without you…" she sobbed, "I-I love you! Please don't go…"

Sheik touched foreheads with his fiancée. "I can't have you in danger because of me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Malon broke away from their embrace. "Then let me come with you."

Sheik wiped his eyes and shook his head. "I'm going to put a protective barrier around your ranch. It will remain there until those guys leave, and will reappear if there are any intruders trying to raid your ranch. This way, I can protect you guys, even when I'm not there."

Malon broke into uncontrollable tears. Sheik took a few steps back and placed his palms on the ground, initiating the spell.

I walked up to Malon and wrapped my arms around her. She let out a loud sob, pressing me up against her for comfort.

"Can you believe it?" Malon sniffled. "We could've been sister-in-laws." She began stroking my hair, gently.

"Malon…"

"But you're always going to be my little sister anyway…" Malon looked down and smiled sadly. "Will… will you sing for me? One last time?"

I nodded, though I knew I could not finish the entire song. So I sang the most comforting verse.

_Carry on,_

_Rid this world of fear,_

_Now the time is near,_

_Peace will soon reign here..._

"Zelda!" I felt the earth rumble as Sheik's spell had begun to take place. The army had also began to come charging down the hill.

"Stand back Malon!" I yelled, running to Sheik. He was putting all his energy into this spell, being that it took up a lot of energy, even for Sheik. Quickly, I placed my hands over his, feeding him some of my energy. Sheik looked up gratefully before resuming his work.

Suddenly, a crystal clear dome began to form over Lon Lon Ranch. Sheik grabbed me before I got caught in the dome.

"Malon!" Sheik shouted as the dome began to separate them. "Please, no matter what, don't ever forget the time we spent together! You're the only girl I've ever loved, and I will come back for you! I promise! Din forbid we don't meet again, don't ever think for a second, not even a second, that I didn't love you!"

Malon burst into tears again. "Y-Y-You better! You better come back! And if you don't… I'll…I'll…"

The barrier materialized between the two lovers, separating them for good.

"SHEIK!" Malon cried.

Sheik took my hand and pulled me away, running in no particular direction. Anywhere but here. I noticed he was crying just as I was. When I took a quick look back, the army had already realized Sheik was not at the ranch, and were heading towards us. The dome covered Lon Lon Ranch completely, and Malon had collapsed to her knees.

Malon knew just as well as Sheik and I that we weren't coming back.

***Sniffle* A lot of work was put into this chapter. I wanted to make it extra special, since **_**Whatever It Takes **_**reached 100 reviews! Thank you for all your continued support throughout this series, as slow to update and inexperienced of a writer I am! It was funny, because my friend was the first one to notice I had 99 reviews, and so we had this whole conversation on what the 100****th**** review would be, and what its significance is and whatnot. Then, the 100****th**** review comes, and it says "Make more" I don't know why, but I couldn't stop laughing. Either way, I know every review was contributed with meaning and dedication, no matter what it said. **

**If you go to Chapter 7, you'll notice I changed the song that Zelda sings when Link first hears her speak. It is now the Zelda's Lullaby I used in this chapter, simply for consistency and me just liking that song. Check out adrisaurus's channel to hear the vocals for the actual song itself. I've also been working on the cover art for this story. Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

"_Prince Link!"_

Both Link and Zelda's heads turned in the direction of the voice. They found a maid waving at them from a distance.

"Prince Link! Sir Shad has arrived in Castle Town, and lessons will begin shortly!"

Link groaned. "Sorry Zelda… you didn't get to finish your story." The way he said it made it seem like he was a little kid asking to stay up a bit longer before going to bed.

Zelda smiled. "It's fine. We'll just continue later, right?"

"I hope so." He leaned in to kiss her, but remembering the maid watching, gave her a wink instead and pretended to brush something off her shoulder. Zelda nodded, understanding the message.

* * *

During his lessons, Link could hardly focus. _It's amazing how everything falls into place… _Link mused to himself. How Zelda became so talented in fighting, the song she sang back at the fountain, her fear of horses…

Link chuckled at the last one, earning a raised eyebrow from his tutor. No wonder Zelda was always on edge around Epona, though her first encounter with the fierce mare couldn't have helped their relationship either.

Zelda sure was a good story teller though.

He had wanted to know more about Zelda, and it sure was worth it. But Zelda still didn't go into how she had lost Sheik, and how the Gerudos had captured her. Even the necklace she always wore was a mystery, since she said she lost it at Lon Lon Ranch. There were still so many questions left unanswered, and those thoughts pulled at Link's patience till he couldn't stand it anymore.

"May we take a break? I need to use the restroom."

Shad lowered his glasses. "You couldn't go before I arrived?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck. "Erm, no? I had, um, wedding stuff! To take care of."

Shad sighed. "Alright, but don't take too long. There still is much to cover if you are to be crowned king, since the attack on the castle delayed us several lessons."

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

* * *

Zelda exhaled loudly as she leaned against the old bookshelf. She got lucky this time. Had Link's tutor not have come when he did, she would've been forced to reveal the uglier parts of her past. Parts that she was forbidden to mention to anyone. That was specifically why she had dragged the earlier parts of her life, though each one had its own impact on her life in itself.

But Zelda knew Link would want to know more about her. There was no way she could talk him out of it. What would she do if Link asked about how her brother…well…

Zelda shook her head, freeing her mind of these thoughts. She would figure it out when the time came. As of right now, she needed to focus on the more important task at hand.

Having to stand on her toes to reach for the ancient thing, Zelda pulled down the book she had reading a lot lately. Finding no desire to sit down, Zelda just opened the book and started reading. The castle library was her favorite place to go while Link was busy with lessons and other royal duties she couldn't be a part of. Malon was actually the one who taught her to read and write, and other than practicing her combat skills and singing, it had become one of Zelda's favorite pastimes. The library itself consisted of a circular room with three pearly white sofas surrounding a square mahogany table in the center. Then, the bookshelves formed circles around the seating area, opening up at the top, bottom, left, and right parts of the circle so you could easily make your way through. Ladders rails lined the tops of the shelves, and it was fun to swing from the left and right like a scooter. She allowed herself to become absorbed in her book. Reading gave her a chance to think in peace and quiet, especially since no one really came here. At least, in this section anyway, the area designated for books regarding ancient legends and culture, old records, forgotten fighting styles, and…

"Forbidden magic?" Zelda jumped as her book was snatched out of her own hands. In front of her was none other than Miss Ilia, now skimming over the pages Zelda had just read. "_Soul Transportation Techniques?_ Guess Lord Ganon was right. You are up to something, aren't you?"

_Lord Ganon?_ "M-Miss Ilia, what are you talking about?" Zelda glanced around nervously. Suddenly she regretted being completely alone in the library.

Ilia sighed loudly. "Are you really that dense? Lord Ganon has grown impatient with you Zelda. He believes you have grown too fond of Link, and could even be secretly plotting against him. He doesn't need traitors like you, but he does need someone to replace them."

Zelda gasped, understanding what she meant completely. "But, but, why? Don't you love Link too?"

Ilia crossed her arms. "Oh please. Sweetie, even I can see he'd do anything for you. Nothing can change that. You see Zelda? You've taken the one thing I've ever wanted in my life. All those years, worked as a slave to these aristocrats, all I ever wanted was to be with Link. My whole life has been dedicated to Link, and I'm not gonna give him up to some pathetic war orphan. Even if that means killing him, at least in death he won't be with anyone else."

"Ilia, you're not thinking straight!" Zelda activated her Sheikah eyes. In a split second, Ilia threw something towards her eye. Zelda's eyes widened as the object grazed her eyelid, barely dodging. She stared at Ilia in horror. The thought of losing one of her precious Sheikah eyes frightened her to no end. They were the core essence of her fighting style. Subconsciously, Zelda touched her eye. It throbbed painfully.

Ilia gritted her teeth. "Damn. Should work on my aim. On the other hand, I'm disappointed in you. Between you and the Reincarnation, you should've dodged completely."

Zelda attempted to hide her surprise. "W-What do you mean, Ilia? T-The Reincarnation is..." Zelda swallowed. "Dead."

Ilia smiled devilishly. "Don't play that game with me, Lord Ganon told me everything. About the raid on you village, how you ran all over Hyrule hiding from these mysterious attackers… hey, you wanna know something?"

Zelda gritted her teeth.

"The raids on your village and the ones that followed, they were staged by Lord Ganon. He had the whole thing planned out from the start!"

"If King Ganon was responsible for those raids, then why during the raid on the castle, did his army say they were targeting me?"

Ilia shrugged nonchalantly. "As I said earlier, you're taking too long. You should have finished off the Royal Family long ago. So, Lord Ganon just decided to get rid of you all together and kill the Avalons himself."

"That's ridiculous." Zelda argued. "He can't kill anyone from the Royal Family. The Curse of the Goddesses makes sure of that. He'd have to send someone to kill them on his behalf. Someone who could take on the Royal Family and anyone who tries to protect them. Someone like the Reincarnation."

"That may be true, but what if Lord Ganon _was_ the Reincarnation."

Zelda froze. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say Lord Ganon just so happened to share his body with the Reincarnation's soul." Ilia smirked, tapping her fingers on her chin tauntingly. "Not only would he have access to the Reincarnation's endless techniques and Sheikah eyes, but he would bypass the Curse by being part Sheikah."

"That's impossible!"

Ilia fanned her hand. "It has been tested. Lord Ganon has been studying Soul Transportation ever since the Reincarnation was discovered. Between the two of them, they could take down the Goddesses themselves! Of course, if you're wondering what would become of you, Lord Ganon actually said I could do whatever I wanted with you. I think I'll make sure you have a nice, slow…"

Zelda pushed off her back leg, hurling herself toward Ilia at full speed. If she could corner her against a bookshelf and figure out what was making her act this way, then she could stop Ilia then before she hurts herself.

Ilia side-stepped and slapped the back of her neck, knocking her to the wall. Zelda cried out in pain. Her shoulder had received the full impact of the blow, and hurt like hell. There was a strange bump where her shoulder is. It felt as hard as bone and showed through her shirt.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Zelda bit her lip, letting a little blood trickle out.

"I didn't have to." Ilia smirked. "Lord Ganon had Queen Nabooru's soul implanted in me not too long ago. Like you, he believed Queen Nabooru was beginning to take Link's side. We can't have traitors in such a grandiose plan such as his! Right, Zelda?"

"Only a monster would do that to his own wife." Zelda stood up slowly, still holding her left arm. Thankfully, she was right handed, so her injury wouldn't be too much of an issue.

Ilia shrugged. "Only a slut would steal someone's fiancé." she retorted.

"I did not _steal_ him!" Zelda shouted back. "You practically forced the engagement on him! Did stop to think what Link wanted? That maybe he didn't want to get married so soon? For Din's sake, he's only eighteen!"

"_Don't let her get to you Zelda. Calm down…"_

"Oh please. I don't know what you people in that little village of yours, but eighteen is a perfectly reasonable age to get married." Ilia, sensing Zelda was distracted, began creating something out of dark matter. _"O bandia na flaithis" _she began chanting the spell. _"…chruthú lann a bhféadfaidh mé ag troid."_ A bright yellow light flashed in the corner of Zelda's eye, and a blade had formed. The form itself was solid, but the color itself swirled different shades of dark blue and violet.

Zelda pulled out her own knife, muttering a few words in her Sheikah language. _Adar mandis rat, set, a odji, dal deram to mandis cheuri._

As she spoke, her blade began to shine with the activation of the spell. It glowed a gentle white, in contrast with the dark purple of Ilia's sword.

Ilia laughed. "Seriously? That's all you can come up with?", mocking the tiny knife.

"My magic is different than yours." Zelda said once her spell was complete. "It's not forbidden like yours. Dark magic hasn't been allowed since the Great War."

"Says the one who was looking into soul transportation not too long ago." Ilia scoffed, assuming a battle stance.

Zelda took her own form. "Just so you know… I might've let my guard down before. But I will not hesitate to attack you full on now. If I receive any indication that you are incapable of fighting, I will end this match immediately. Do you understand?"

Ilia rolled her eyes. "Stop giving yourself so much~"

Zelda appeared behind Ilia, swinging at her exposed neck. Ilia jumped back, sliding several feet back. Before Zelda could recover from her last move, the older teen charged up at her with her sword.

Zelda waited till Ilia was about to hit her, then dropped her back to the floor, allowing Ilia to topple over, only to push her forward with her foot.

"_Reoite!" _A yellow light flashed, and Ilia stopped herself before she hit the bookshelf, fixing herself upright.

"_Levatational magic? How could she learn that so quickly?!"_

"_I can't say for sure."_

Refocusing on the battle, Zelda looked up just in time to see Ilia vanish into thin air. Again, with the same yellow light.

For once, the Sheikah girl was the one to smile. "You can't escape these eyes, Ilia." Zelda took a deep breath and sunk into the Shadow Dimension.

* * *

From here, Zelda could see everything, even in the corners of the bookshelves and into the very books themselves. As long as there was a shadow, it was accessible. For a brief second, Zelda considered just hiding out here and try to fix her arm. There was absolutely no way anyone other than a Sheikah could enter the Shadow Dimension. No bomb could affect those in it, no magic could see through it, and no Hylian could sense it. It was completely and totally untraceable.

Scanning the room, Zelda found Ilia hiding behind the back most bookshelf. She had managed to turn herself invisible and was looking left and right frantically.

Feeling pleased with herself, Zelda swam her way over to Ilia. Appearing directly behind her, she covered her mouth with one hand and held her knife to her neck with the other.

"Gotcha." Zelda whispered, thinking the battle was over.

She felt Ilia smirk against her hand as the former fiancé grabbed Zelda's forearm and swung her over her shoulder, smashing her to the ground. Luckily, Zelda turned to her side so she fell on her already hurt arm. Pushing herself with her other hand, she swung her leg around to trip Ilia, while holding her blade upwards so Ilia could fall on top of it.

"You're not too bad, Sheikah." Ilia coughed up blood as she forced herself up. The blade was still wedged in her side where she had landed. "But it's those eyes of yours, isn't it?"

Zelda backed up from Ilia, trying to gain as much distance as possible.

"It's how you're able to move so quickly. You can see the slightest motions people make, which indicate what move they're using next. It also allows you to perform silent commands, and while it only works with Sheikah magic, it must be quite convenient, really."

"Get to the point, Ilia."

"My point is…" Ilia rose up from the ground.

"_She didn't chant any spell to make her rise!"_

"Shouldn't we even things out a bit more? Yes, that sound right to me." Ilia's eyes began to change form, going up and down in all directions, as if they were spinning. Zelda watched in horror as Ilia summoned a mass of dark orbs, far larger than she could ever hope to conjure up. Wind pushed up from the sides as more of the blackish matter was formed, knocking over several shelves and blowing out their book pages.

"Do you like them?!" Ilia shouted over the roar of the wind. "I can feel the power rushing through me! They're even better than your Sheikah eyes! Soon I will be restored to full health, and none of the injuries I sustained will matter!"

All of a sudden, a large yellow light flashed, and Ilia was on the ground, holding a long staff in her hand. Zelda blocked her face with her arm, lowering it only when everything cleared up.

Ilia's hair had grown up to thrice its length, and was flying all around her in one big mangy mess. Her clothes were torn, and where the rips were there was black patches of skin. With every step she took toward, a gust of air came out from all sides. The worst part was her eyes. They were a bright, manic white.

It was at this point that Ilia was no longer using Hylian magic. She was being controlled by something else, _but what?_

Zelda thought carefully. Ilia was definitely using Hylian magic, she could tell by the calling phrase she had said after the first spell she casted. But when she transformed, she didn't say anything in the ancient language. Also, every time Ilia cast a spell, a bright yellow light had flashed. It happened so quickly, Zelda was almost sure she didn't see it. But it was certainly there, as an even brighter light had flashed when she was transforming.

Suddenly, Zelda noticed a yellow gem hanging from Ilia's earlobe. It was an earring, a pretty one, in fact, except there was only one on her left ear. It was smooth and pearly like, only golden, like a rising sun above the sands of the desert.

_Wait a minute._

Like the sands of a desert? Zelda focused her Sheikah eyes on the earring. It was the exact same one Nabooru and King Ganon wore on their foreheads. She was almost certain she saw someone else wear one while she was being imprisoned, but couldn't remember their face. They all looked the same, except Ganon's, which connected to his crown-thingie.

"_Zelda!"_

Zelda sighed. _"What is it, Sheik?"_

* * *

***Gasp* Cliffhangers? I'm alive again, and approximately 6 days ago, I first began Whatever It Takes! Seems like a lot of events have been happening these last few chapters. Or maybe it's just me taking forever between each one. (Hint: It's the latter) Geez, I remember being in 7****th**** grade and just thinking of random plotlines for books I would never write, but when I thought of this one, I could not get it out of my head. I had just started getting into Fanfiction too, so it was the perfect time to just see what being an author would be like! **

**Well, if anybody was wondering, it's not so easy. If you're like me, and have a lot of schoolwork and after-school activities, it's hard to find the time to sit down and write. But, when you do find the time, I think it's very relaxing, in a way. I like to submerge myself into my characters world and forget about the real one. **

**Getting back to the story, I may be going back and fixing some details in the previous chapters every so often. None of them will majorly affect the plotline to the point where you won't know what I'm talking about, but if you find the time, see if you can spot the differences. Most of it is for foreshadowing purposes. I like foreshadowing, it's fun to watch (or read, I guess) everything fall into place at the end. But don't drive yourselves crazy looking for them, because chances are I won't get to it until later. Maybe. I don't even know. I also wanted to add more of the different languages. They're cool. If you guys have any comments on what I should and shouldn't do, please leave it in the form of a review or PM me. I also might be looking into a Beta Reader, so if you have any recommendations, notify me too. And as always, thanks for reading! **


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